DTN News: Pakistan TODAY August 14, 2009 ~ Pakistan’s Nuclear Program Owes Its Success To Afghanistan War Dr A Q Khan

DTN News: Pakistan TODAY August 14, 2009 ~ Pakistan’s Nuclear Program Owes Its Success To Afghanistan War Dr A Q Khan

*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media

(NSI News Source Info) ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - August 14, 2009: The pioneer of Pakistan’s nuclear Programs and renowned scientist, Dr. Abdul Qadir Khan has said that Pakistan’s nuclear program owes its success due to Afghan war, which entangled US badly. Disgraced Pakistani nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan, right, walks with opposition leader Imran Khan, left, after their meeting at his residence in Islamabad, Pakistan on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2009. Pakistan defended Saturday the easing of restrictions on Khan, saying the man who once confessed to passing nuclear secrets to Iran, North Korea and Libya no longer posed a risk because his smuggling network had been dismantled. While speaking in Private TV Channel program, Dr. A Q Khan said that after the creation of Pakistan, Liaqat Ali Khan visited America, followed by Field marshal Ayub Khan, who simply put the Pakistan on total mercy of America. Dr. A Q Khan accused that this act of former leaders of Pakistan has put the freedom and independence of Pakistan on stake, as every feeble government in the past continued to seek the support of US. He said that in the mid late Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto tried to free the country from the grasp of US but unfortunately, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was hanged by former military dictator Zia ul Haq which was the bad luck of Pakistan. He said that it is very unfortunate in the Pakistan that whosoever raised the voice for the freedom has been killed, while envying Iran for despite being very weak as compared to Pakistan, still did not allow US to violate their territory. He said that he had done his job L: whatever he could do, and maintained that the success of Pakistan’s Nuclear program was the Afghan war, which entangled US badly. He said that Afghan war and unrest in region has provided Pakistan an opportunity to complete its nuclear power. He further said that had there been peace in Afghanistan, it would have become difficult for Pakistan to accomplishment is nuclear program. Similarly, he said that Pakistan’s nuclear arms was in safe hands and said that news in the international media about falling of these nuclear arms into terrorists hands were merely baseless.

DTN News: Taiwan TODAY August 14, 2009 ~ Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou Says Typhoon Has Killed About 500

DTN News: Taiwan TODAY August 14, 2009 ~ Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou Says Typhoon Has Killed About 500

*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media

(NSI News Source Info) TAIPEI, Taiwan - August 14, 2009: Floods and mudslides unleashed by Typhoon Morakot last weekend have killed about 500 people on the island, Taiwan's president said Friday as he called on rescue crews to step up their efforts. In this image released by the Taiwan Military News Agency, soldiers support an elderly woman after being rescued from the flooded village of Meilan following Typhoon Morakot, Friday, Aug. 14, 2009, in Kaohsiung County, southern Taiwan. Morakot destroyed the homes of 7,000 people and caused agricultural and property damage in excess of 50 billion New Taiwan dollars ($1.5 billion), President Ma Ying-jeou said at a national security conference, the first called since he took office 15 months ago. He called it the most severe damage to the island in more than 50 years. "While the rescue operation is still going on, we have started rehabilitation and reconstruction work, which is just as pressing as relief efforts but might be even more difficult and cumbersome," Ma said. Morakot dumped more than 80 inches (2 meters) of rain on the island last weekend and stranded thousands in villages in the mountainous south. A total of 15,400 villagers have been ferried to safety, and rescuers are working to save another 1,900 people still stuck. Ma said the death toll includes 120 confirmed deaths, and about 380 people believed to be buried in the debris of a landslide in Shiao Lin, the hardest-hit village. The military finally opened a road to Shiao Lin on Friday, but authorities have given up hope of finding anyone alive under the tons of mud that now cover the village, Kaohsiung county chief Yang Chiu-hsing said. Instead of digging into some 170 mud-buried homes, a memorial park will be built on the site, he told reporters. Another six victims were from the village of Sinfa where a torrent of water cascaded down a steep mountain facade, turning homes on the village's eastern fringe into piles of rubble and debris. "They were there one day, and now they are gone," said neighbor Ban Bi-hsia. Elsewhere in the village, streets were covered in mud and roads had buckled and collapsed amid days of torrential rains. Residents have set about the huge task of rebuilding with the help of the army, a company of which was camped out at the local primary school. As public complaints about the slow rescue work increase, the government said its operations have been hampered because many areas of the country were cut off when roads and bridges had collapsed. Rescuers have relied on helicopters to reach the worst-hit areas, and on Thursday authorities requested larger choppers from foreign governments capable of carrying earth-moving equipment and shelters. Many villagers have conducted their own rescue operations. More than 20,000 troops have joined civilian workers on rescue, cleanup and rehabilitation work, officials said.

DTN News: China TODAY August 14, 2009 Part # 2 ~ China Appoints New Nuclear Agency Chief

DTN News: China TODAY August 14, 2009 Part # 2 ~ China Appoints New Nuclear Agency Chief

*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media

(NSI News Source Info) BEIJING, China - August 14, 2009: Deputy director of China's National Energy Administration Sun Qin has been appointed as the country's nuclear agency chief. Sun replaced Kang Rixin, general manager of the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), after he was sacked following alleged "grave violations of discipline", sources with the Central Committee of China's Communist Party said on Friday.

China sacked Rixin following a probe into allegations that he took bribes and squandered public funds reportedly to the tune of USD 260 million.

The removal of China's nuclear body chief comes just a week after another top Chinese official was executed after being convicted of bribery and embezzlement totalling nearly USD 16 million. Kang, a member of the CPC Central Committee since October 2007, was also the secretary of the corporation's CPC Leadership Group.

He has held the post of the corporation's general manager and Party secretary since September 2003.

DTN News: China TODAY August 14, 2009 ~ Chinese Say Parents Are Pleading For Internet Control

DTN News: China TODAY August 14, 2009 ~ Chinese Say Parents Are Pleading For Internet Control *Source: DTN News / Int'l Media (NSI News Source Info) BEIJING, China - August 14, 2009: Chinese officials have claimed they have seen tearful parents begging for the government to protect their children from obscenity on the Internet. China has dropped controversial plans to force PC makers to install internet filtering software on all new computers. Installation of the Green Dam/Youth Escort software was set to become mandatory from 1 July, but was not enforced after sparking local and international protest. At the time, China's ministry for information technology said the delay was to give PC makers more time to prepare. But now the ministry has announced that the internet filtering software is to be deployed only in schools, internet cafés and other public places, according to the Financial Times. The ministry said it would respect consumers' freedom of choice and would not force the installation on all PCs sold in China. In justifying their curbs on Internet access, theChinese government has closed hundreds of websites in an ongoing crackdown on online pornography and other content. Beijing has come down on media in the country prior to October's 60th anniversary of the founding of Communist China. Late June, the government backed down on a plan to require that filter software be pre-installed on all new computers to block supposedly pornographic or other vulgar content. But the Chinese government has insisted Internet bars and other public places have the software.

DTN News: Boeing Airborne Laser Team Completes 1st Airborne Test Against Instrumented Target Missile

DTN News: Boeing Airborne Laser Team Completes 1st Airborne Test Against Instrumented Target Missile

*Source: DTN News / Boeing

(NSI News Source Info) EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif., - August 14, 2009: The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA], industry teammates and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency on Aug. 10 successfully completed the Airborne Laser's (ABL) first in-flight test against an instrumented target missile, achieving a historic milestone. The ABL weapon system consists of a high-energy, chemical oxygen iodine laser (COIL) mounted on a modified 747-400F (freighter) aircraft to shoot down theater ballistic missiles in their boost phase. A crew of four, including pilot and copilot, would be required to operate the airborne laser, which would patrol in pairs at high altitude, about 40,000 feet, flying in orbits over friendly territory, scanning the horizon for the plumes of rising missiles. Capable of autonomous operation, the ABL would acquire and track missiles in the boost phase of flight, illuminating the missile with a tracking laser beam while computers measure the distance and calculate its course and direction. After acquiring and locking onto the target, a second laser - with weapons-class strength - would fire a three- to five-second burst from a turret located in the 747's nose, destroying the missiles over the launch area. During the test, the modified Boeing 747-400F aircraft took off from Edwards Air Force Base and used its infrared sensors to find a target missile launched from San Nicholas Island, Calif. The Boeing-developed battle management system aboard ABL then issued engagement and target location instructions to the beam control/fire control system, which acquired the target and fired its two solid-state illuminator lasers to track the target and measure atmospheric conditions. ABL then fired a surrogate high-energy laser at the target, simulating a missile intercept. Instrumentation on the target verified that the surrogate high-energy laser hit the target. "This test demonstrates that the Airborne Laser can fully engage an in-flight missile with its battle management and beam control/fire control systems," said Michael Rinn, Boeing vice president and ABL program director. "Pointing and focusing a laser beam on a target that is rocketing skyward at thousands of miles per hour is no easy task, but the Airborne Laser is uniquely able to do the job." The test follows ABL's engagement of two un-instrumented missiles in early June, which allowed the team to fine-tune the engagement sequence. ABL will now undergo flight tests in which the aircraft will fire its high-energy laser, first into an onboard calorimeter, then through its beam control/fire control system. The ABL team then will test the entire weapon system against in-flight missiles, culminating with ABL's first high-energy laser intercept test against a ballistic missile later this year. ABL would deter potential adversaries and provide speed-of-light capability to destroy all classes of ballistic missiles in their boost phase of flight. Eliminating missiles in their boost phase would reduce the number of shots required by other elements of the layered ballistic missile defense system. "ABL's revolutionary speed, mobility, precision and lethality would make it a great asset to America's warfighters," Rinn added. Boeing is the prime contractor and overall systems integrator for ABL, and provides the modified aircraft and battle management system. Northrop Grumman supplies the high-energy laser, and Lockheed Martin provides the beam control/fire control system. A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is one of the world's largest space and defense businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world's largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $32 billion business with 70,000 employees worldwide.

Contact: Marc Selinger

Boeing Missile Defense Systems

703-414-6138

marc.selinger@boeing.com Chuck Cadena

Boeing Missile Defense Systems

703-872-4503

chuck.cadena@boeing.com

DTN News: Boeing B-1 Upgraded With Fully Integrated Data Link Completes 1st Flight

DTN News: Boeing B-1 Upgraded With Fully Integrated Data Link Completes 1st Flight *Source: DTN News / Boeing (NSI News Source Info) LONG BEACH, Calif., - August 14, 2009: Boeing [NYSE: BA] on July 29 successfully completed the first flight of a B-1 bomber upgraded with the Fully Integrated Data Link (FIDL). This upgrade includes new processors, color displays and communications architecture, enhancing B-1 crews' situational awareness and communications capability. Based on the B-1A bomber, the B-1B was developed by Rockwell International in the 1980s, when 100 of the aircraft were produced to support a nuclear mission and were stationed at Strategic Air Command (SAC) bases. In the 1990s, the B-1B was transitioned to a conventional-weapons mission. The U.S. Air Force 419th Test Squadron conducted the flight from Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. The objective of the FIDL development program is to enhance the B-1 bomber by integrating beyond line-of-sight and line-of-sight data links. The data links reduce crew workload by dynamically re-tasking missions, eliminating the need for steps such as manual entry of weapons data for targeting. In addition to the cockpit upgrades, the modification also improves and more tightly integrates the aft crew stations by replacing displays and associated hardware that were installed during aircraft production in the early 1980s. Additional upgrades include new open-architecture processors, mass-storage capability and an Ethernet network to integrate the aircraft's systems. Boeing personnel at Edwards Air Force Base have been modifying the test aircraft over the past year. B-1 program employees at Edwards, at the Boeing facility in Long Beach and in other locations developed and integrated the new system's hardware and software. "Our team worked closely with the Air Force and many other programs throughout Boeing as we performed independent reviews of product designs and gained valuable insight from employees performing similar development tasks," said Mahesh Reddy, Boeing B-1 program manager. "This cross-company teamwork led to our successful first flight, which brings us one step closer to completing this major B-1 upgrade for our customer." Flight testing will continue through 2010. The Air Force is expected to award a contract in November 2010 for the production of FIDL installation kits for the service's entire B-1 fleet. A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is one of the world's largest space and defense businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world's largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $32 billion business with 70,000 employees worldwide. Contact: Lisa Maull Boeing IDS Communications 314-614-4583 lisa.a.maull@boeing.com Forrest Gossett Boeing IDS Communications 314-363-0650 forrest.s.gossett@boeing.com

DTN News: Russia Aims To Start Making MiG-35 Fighters For India In 2013

DTN News: Russia Aims To Start Making MiG-35 Fighters For India In 2013

*Source: DTN News / RIA Novosti

(NSI News Source Info) NIZHNY NOVGOROD, Russia - August 14, 2009: Production of MiG-35 multirole fighters offered for sale to India cannot start before 2013 or 2014, a Russian aircraft maker said on Thursday. MiG-35 is a new export variant that combines the modern systems of the MiG-29M2 with an AESA radar. The fighter plane has the thrust vectoring of the MiG-29OVT as an additional option. Improved avionics and weapon systems, notably the new AESA radar and the uniquely designed optical locator system (OLS), make the aircraft less dependent on ground-controlled interception (GCI) systems and enables the MiG-35 to conduct independent multirole missions. MiG-35 is compatible with Russian and foreign-origin weapons applications and an integrated variety of defensive systems to increase combat survivability. The fighter plane is being marketed globally under the designation MiG-35 (single seat) and MiG-35D (dual seat). MiG Corporation made their first official international MiG-35 presentation during Aero India 2007. Russia's MiG-35 Fulcrum-F, an export version of the MiG-29M OVT (Fulcrum F), is a highly maneuverable air superiority fighter, which won high acclaim during the Le Bourget air show in France last year. "We have begun testing the MiG-35 fighter for the Indian tender," said Alexander Karezin, general director of the Sokol company based in Nizhny Novgorod. Six major aircraft makers - Lockheed and Boeing from the United States, Russia's MiG, which is part of the UAC, France's Dassault, Sweden's Saab and the EADS consortium of British, German, Spanish and Italian companies - are in contention to win the $10 billion contract for 126 light fighters to be supplied to the Indian Air Force. Sokol earlier said that the first two MiG-35 aircraft would be delivered to India in August for test flights prior to the award of the tender. In late 2009, Russia will conduct a series of flight tests with live firing for an Indian Air Force delegation at one of the testing grounds on the Russian territory. The fighter is powered by RD-33 OVT thrust vectoring engines. The RD-33 OVT engines provide superior maneuverability and enhance the fighter's performance in close air engagements. Moscow said if MiG-35 wins the tender, Russia is ready to transfer all key technology to India's Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. and provide assistance for the production of the aircraft in the country.

DTN News: Sokol Starts Deliveries Of Yak-130 Combat Trainers To Russian Air Force

DTN News: Sokol Starts Deliveries Of Yak-130 Combat Trainers To Russian Air Force *Source: DTN News / RIA Novosti (NSI News Source Info) NIZHNY NOVGOROD, Russia - August 14, 2009: Sokol, a Nizhny Novgorod-based aircraft maker, has started deliveries of new Yak-130 combat trainers to the Russian Air Force, the company said on Thursday. The Yak-130 combat trainer was selected as the winner of the trainer competition of the Voyenno Vozdushnyye Sily, Russian Federation Air Force, in April 2002. The aircraft is also being actively marketed for export by Yakovlev, the Irkut company, and by Rosoboronexport. The Russian Air Force has a future requirement for 300 Yak-130 aircraft that can be deployed as a light strike aircraft or as a trainer for a range of fourth or fifth-generation fighters. An order has been placed for the first 12 aircraft to replace aging Aero Vodochody L-39 Albatros. The aircraft will enter service in the Russian Federation Air Force at the military pilot training academy in Krasnodar. The production line for the aircraft at the Aviation Plant Sokol in Nizhny Novgorod, known as NAZ Sokol, is fully operational and the roll out of the first production series aircraft took place in May 2003. A series of flight tests of the serial production aircraft was started in April 2004 and will be completed in early 2006. The Russian Air Force ordered official testing in May 2005. The full trials of the advanced combat trainer, including spin and combat tactics trials, are underway and are due to be completed by the end of 2008 prior to delivery of the first two production aircraft to the Russian Air Force. In March 2006, it was announced that Algeria had placed an order for 16 Yak-130 trainers. Deliveries are due to commence in 2009.* The Yak-130 single-seat aircraft can be used as a light strike aircraft or as a trainer for fourth and fifth generation fighters. With its production line launched in May 2003, the plane is also being marketed for export. "We delivered the first Yak-130 in late July, and it will be showcased at the MAKS-2009 air show [on August 18-23 near Moscow]," said Alexander Karezin, Sokol's general director. In April 2002, the Yak-130 was chosen as a basic aircraft for Russian Air Force pilot training. Under an initial contract with the Defense Ministry, Sokol will deliver a total of 12 Yak-130s by the end of 2010. The Russian Air Force is planning to commission about 200 Yak-130s to equip four air regiments in the future. The Yak-130 is a highly maneuverable aircraft with an extended range of about 2,000 kilometers (1,250 miles) and a maximum speed of 1,060 km/h (600 m/h) in level flight. It can carry a combat payload of up to 3,000 kg (6,600 pounds), consisting of a variety of Russian and Western developed weapons. According to Russian Air Force commander, Col. Gen. Alexander Zelin, the first Yak-130 trainers will be used for pilot training at the Krasnodar Military Flight School. Russia will also start deliveries of 16 Yak-130s to Algeria in 2010.

DTN News: India Receives 1st Indigenous Unmanned Ground Vehicle

DTN News: India Receives 1st Indigenous Unmanned Ground Vehicle

*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media

(NSI News Source Info) NEW DELHI, India - August 14, 2009: The Indian Army has received its first homemade unmanned ground vehicle, which will be used for surveillance, and to detect nuclear, biological and chemical weapons and mines. The prototype of the vehicle, which has been developed and handed to the Indian Army for trials, is based on an infantry fighting vehicle, the BMP-II, and has been developed by the state-owned Combat Vehicles Research & Development Establishment. It is operating under India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The prototype consists of a drive-by-wire system, which includes electromechanical actuators and drives for the driver interfaces, such as acceleration, brake, gear shifting, steering, clutch, parking brake, etc., said a DRDO scientist. The signals from the engine are acquired by a data acquisition card and displayed in the graphical user interface. The vehicle would be a precursor to the development of a future unmanned battle tank.

DTN News: Poland Considering Israeli Drones

DTN News: Poland Considering Israeli Drones

*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media

(NSI News Source Info) WARSAW, Poland - August 14, 2009: Poland is considering buying drones from Israel, Defence Minister Bogdan Klich said Aug. 12, after Warsaw's announcement that it was bolstering its deployment in Afghanistan. Klich told reporters he had recently traveled to Israel to visit arms manufacturers. "Three companies there produce top-quality pilotless aircraft," he said. "Without predicting which of the three - or even another, non-Israeli firm - will win the tender, I can't imagine that we'll buy them one by one. We're going to buy a whole range of drones, from short- to medium-range," he added. Poland currently has 2,000 soldiers in Afghanistan fighting Taliban-led militants under the banner of the NATO-run International Security Assistance Force, which draws together around 64,500 troops from more than 40 nations. Drones, armed with lethal missiles and controlled by a "pilot" using a joystick at bases in the U.S. and elsewhere, have become an American weapon of choice in the fight against the militants. On Aug. 10, one Polish soldier was killed and four were injured during a clash in Afghanistan's central province of Ghazni. It was Warsaw's 10th fatality since it first sent troops to Afghanistan in 2002. On Tuesday, Poland said it had created a back-up force of 200 soldiers ready for deployment in Afghanistan. Poland, a former communist country turned staunch ally of Washington, joined NATO in 1999 and has over the years gradually upgraded its military equipment.

DTN News: South Korea TODAY August 14, 2009 ~ Amid Peace Efforts, North Korea Releases South Korean Detainee

DTN News: South Korea TODAY August 14, 2009 ~ Amid Peace Efforts, North Korea Releases South Korean Detainee

*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media (NSI News Source Info) SEOUL, South Korea - August 14, 2009: Amid rising hopes of better ties between Pyongyang and Seoul, North Korea frees a South Korean engineer arrested in March at a joint industrial zone near the border.

Yoo Seong-jin (C), a worker who was detained by North Korea, speaks to the media upon his arrival at the South Korean Customs, Immigration and Quarantine office, south of the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas, in Paju, north of Seoul, August 13, 2009, after he crossed the border. North Korea on Thursday released a South Korean worker it had held for nearly five months for allegedly insulting its leaders in a rare conciliatory gesture likely to ease tension between the rival states.

Yu Seong-jin, the engineer with Hyundai Group's North Korea business arm, was handed over to the South on Thursday.

Unification Ministry spokesman Chun Hae-sung told reporters in Seoul that Yu was expected to cross the border Thursday evening. Yu, 41, worked at the Kaesong industrial zone near the volatile border and has been held in the North since late March for allegedly criticizing Pyongyang's political system.

The release comes after a visit to the North this week by the high-profile chairman of the Hyundai Group in an attempt to settle the issue.

The developments also comes just over one week after the North freed two US journalists following a meeting between former US president Bill Clinton and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il in Pyongyang.

Tensions between North Korea and the US have been on the rise following Pyongyang's nuclear and missile tests in May. Officials in Washington now say they are willing to hold direct talks with Pyongyang over its nuclear program.

The South and North are also involved in a heated dispute over Pyonyang's nuclear weapons program. The North has recently taken a more conciliatory approach toward its southern neighbors.

DTN News: Afghanistan TODAY August 14, 2009 ~ Former Afghan President Escapes Taliban Ambush

DTN News: Afghanistan TODAY August 14, 2009 ~ Former Afghan President Escapes Taliban Ambush

*Source: DTN News / Reuters

(NSI News Source Info) KUNDUZ, Afghanistan - August 14, 2009: A former Afghan president, Burhanuddin Rabbani, survived a Taliban ambush on Thursday in northern Kunduz province, where militants clashed with police for a second straight night, officials said. The violence jolted the once-quiet part of the country a week before a presidential election that the militants have vowed to disrupt. Insurgents are spreading their attacks from the south and east into Afghanistan's north and west. Rabbani, now a member of parliament, is a one of the main supporters of Abdullah Abdullah, the leading rival to incumbent Hamid Karzai in the August 20 poll. The former president was traveling on a road in the Ali Abad district of Kunduz when the Taliban ambushed him with rocket propelled grenades and gunfire, said the chief of the district, Habibullah Mohtashim. Rabbani and those in his convoy were unhurt, while three fighters died in a clash with bodyguards and police, he added. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, speaking from an undisclosed location, claimed responsibility for the attack. (Additional reporting by Ismail Sameem in Kandahar and Sayed Salahuddin in Kabul; writing by Peter Graff and Sayed Salahuddin, editing by Ron Popeski)

DTN News: Iran Proposes Measure Against Nuclear Facility Attacks

DTN News: Iran Proposes Measure Against Nuclear Facility Attacks *Source: DTN News / Int'l Media (NSI News Source Info) TEHRAN, Iran - August 14, 2009: Iran's IAEA envoy says Tehran has asked the UN to hold a conference of 150 countries to vote on a proposal which bans attacks on nuclear installations. According to Fars news agency, the request was made on Wednesday through a letter which was sent to the UN Director General, Mohamed ElBaradei. "In that letter, Iran formally requested that the proposal be presented at the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) general conference in September," the agency quoted Ali-Asghar Soltaniyeh as saying. (Photo: Iran's Ambassador to IAEA, Ali-Asghar Soltaniyeh) "The protection of such installations is of great importance," he added. Soltaniyeh further pointed out that in September 1990, the IAEA general conference passed a resolution, proposed by Iran, entitled "Prohibition of All Armed Attacks Against Nuclear Installations Devoted to Peaceful Purposes Whether Under Construction or in Operation." "It is necessary to protect such facilities as the number of nuclear installations has increased since then," he said. "It is undoubtedly a matter of concern for all countries.” "The proposal will surely be supported by other countries and will pave the way for discussing and approving a resolution in this regard at the IAEA general conference to be held on September 14," Soltaniyeh concluded.

DTN News: Australia Toughens Anti-Terror Laws Amid Threats

DTN News: Australia Toughens Anti-Terror Laws Amid Threats *Source: DTN News / Int'l Media (NSI News Source Info) CANBERRA, Australia - August 14, 2009: As Canberra faces a "significant threat" of attack by homegrown militants, the government has given more power to its police and will allow searches without a warrant. Attorney General Robert McClelland said the law review would allow security forces to conduct searches if they believe bombs, biological agents or other items posing an imminent danger are on the premises. "As the events of recent weeks demonstrate, terrorism continues to pose a real and significant threat to Australia and Australian interests both here and abroad," said McClelland. The Attorney-General on Thursday briefed the federal parliament on the new changes that will enable the police to raid the homes of terror suspects without needing the approval of a judge. The period during which security forces can re-enter premises in emergency situations has been extended from 30 minutes to 12 hours. Moreover, the reviewed law also seeks to make it more difficult for suspects to be freed on bail. The amendments come a week after five Australian men were charged with plotting a suicide gun attack on a Sydney military base. Authorities in Canberra have gradually extended police powers to detain terror suspects following the 9/11 attacks. Human rights groups and law experts have strongly criticized the new measures, saying they will sweep away fundamental legal safeguards.

DTN News: General Electric Accused Of Selling Roadside Bomb Parts

DTN News: General Electric Accused Of Selling Roadside Bomb Parts

*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media

(NSI News Source Info) NEW YORK, USA - August 14, 2009: The US company General Electric has dismissed claims by Fox News that it is involved in supplying roadside bomb parts that ultimately fall into terrorist hands.

The American company on Wednesday described the Fox News report as "irresponsible and maliciously false".

The Fox's Bill O'Reilly in a recent report on Tuesday claimed that according to sources a federal probe was underway to see whether General Electric was providing roadside bomb parts that are used to kill American soldiers.

He said that a US company had supplied Corezing International -- a company in Singapore -- with radio frequency modules, which are among the main components of the roadside bombs.

GE spokesman Gary Sheffer said nobody can confirm such claims, adding that the company does not do business with the Singaporean firm.

"We usually do not respond to the misleading and inaccurate claims made on this program because very few people take them seriously," Sheffer said,

"But tonight's report took this smear campaign to a new low."

DTN News: Taiwan Comes Under Fire For Typhoon Management

DTN News: Taiwan Comes Under Fire For Typhoon Management *Source: DTN News / Int'l Media (NSI News Source Info) TAIPEI, Taiwan - August 14, 2009: As Taiwan grapples with rescue efforts amid the displacement of more than 2,000 people as a result of Typhoon Morakot, complaints are fuming over the way the disaster is being addressed. Following a deadly typhoon last weekend, which dumped three meters (120 inches) of rain and killed more than one hundred people, rescuers managed to airlift nearly 14,000 people to safety. The government and politicians, however, are under continued criticism that they are doing too little, too late. "We are helpless. We are forgotten. We have been waiting for the helicopters without supplies," one villager told AFP. By Thursday morning, the government had counted 108 deaths, 62 people missing and 45 injured, CNN reported. While rain continues to scourge the island, rescue teams use their helicopters to dole out food and medicine among cut-off villagers in central and southern areas. President Ma Ying-jeou, who flied to the typhoon-hit areas to inspect the situation, was met with angry people complaining. "What is the government doing? It's too late, they cannot be saved," they said. As the presence of thousands of Taiwanese troops in the disaster areas continues, the government has asked the international community for help items like helicopters, gravel trucks, disinfectants and chlorine tablets. "I leave everything up to God," Shu Yue Hao told CNN after succeeding to flee the rain in her village Jia Mu.