Aug 21, 2010

Rosatom Calls Bushehr 'International Project' | Business | The Moscow Times

Rosatom Calls Bushehr 'International Project' | Business | The Moscow Times

Rosatom Calls Bushehr 'International Project'

Rosatom chief Sergei Kiriyenko on Thursday called the construction of Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant a "big international project" in which more than 10 European Union and Asia-Pacific countries took part in the Moscow-led project.
The state-run nuclear holding had not previously mentioned having foreign help constructing the controversial plant, which Russia first agreed to finish building in 1992.
The $1 billion project has been stalled repeatedly amid international sanctions and what Tehran has called Moscow's pandering to the West.
Russian political leaders have defended the pace of the work as Rosatom seeks to gain a larger foothold in the lucrative and highly competitive market for nuclear power construction deals.

Aug 18, 2010

Murdoch, Saudi prince team up to launch ‘Arabic Fox News’ | Raw Story




Murdoch, Saudi prince team up to launch ‘Arabic Fox News’

By Daniel Tencer
Friday, July 9th, 2010 -- 5:06 pm

rupertmurdoch20080904 Murdoch, Saudi prince team up to launch Arabic Fox News
Fox News owner Rupert Murdoch has partnered with Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal to launch a new 24-hour news network for the Arab world, a move that has drawn mockery from Murdoch's critics and questions from media experts.
First and foremost among those questions is whether a news service linked to the famously pro-Israeli Fox News will resonate among Arab viewers.
"Fox News, famous for its uncomplicated, gung-ho and pro-Israel stance whilst maintaining a mocking notion of neutrality, does not seem like a likely partner" for the Middle Eastern news network, writes David Roberts at the Gulf Blog. "Their coverage of Middle Eastern issues is far from renowned or competent."
The new channel, based in Saudi Arabia, "will focus on development in Saudi Arabia and the Arab world on the political, economic and social fronts," Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, the world's 19th-wealthiest person accor
Publish Post
ding to Forbes, said in a statement.

Aug 15, 2010

Big Peace | Big Peace

Big Peace | Big Peace

Un-Reset Russia Enables Iran to ‘Go Nuclear’

News that Vladimir Putin’s regime will proceed to fueling Iran’s Bushehr nuclear reactor on August 21st is the strategic equivalent of a high-Richter-scale tectonic shift. It is likely to trigger the most far-reaching shockwaves with incalculable repercussions.
For starters, this Russian action offers the latest and most compelling evidence that there has been no real, two-way “reset” of US-Russian relations. Taken together with Russia’s providing advanced anti-aircraft systems, refined petroleum and political protection to Tehran, even the immediate rationale for U.S. appeasement of Moscow – i.e., the Kremlin’s help with the Iranian nuclear program – has not panned out.
In fact, all we have to show for this unilateral reset is systematic accommodation by the United States and business-as-usual by the Kremlin.