Moscow - Iran's nuclear reactor built by Russia at Bushehr will be switched by the end of this year, the head of Russia's state nuclear energy agency said Thursday.
"We are moving according to schedule," Sergei Kiriyenko told reporters in a Kremlin briefing. "I am planning to be there in late February."
The United States and many Western European countries suspect Tehran's civilian nuclear energy programme of serving as cover for ambitions to build atomic weapons.
Prague - Ukraine and the European Union Thursday showed little enthusiasm for Russia's idea to form a consortium of Russia, Ukraine and EU partners that would overlook natural gas transit through Ukraine.
Speaking a day before an EU-Russia meeting in Moscow, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Volodymyr Ogryzko and European Commissioner for External Relations Benita Ferrero-Waldner said that it was too early to discuss such plans.
Beirut - An Israeli gunboat late Wednesday intercepted a Lebanese ship carrying medical aid and other supplies bound for Gaza, the organizer of the Lebanese delivery said.
"The Brotherhood Ship was fired on by an Israeli military boat 20 miles (32 kilometres) off the coast of Gaza and they were asked to divert course," Maan Bashour told Deustche Presse-Agentur dpa.
It remains in the water near the coast of Gaza, he said.
Bashour said the aide ship was loaded with 50 tons of medical supplies, food, clothing and toys and left the port city of Tripoli in northern Lebanon early on Tuesday.
Bishkek/Moscow - The Kyrgyz government on Wednesday moved to shut down a strategic US airbase on its territory, crucial to supplying US and NATO operations in Afghanistan.
The United States has 180 days to close the airbase in the Central Asian state, the head of the country's Security Council, Adukhan Madumarov told journalists in Moscow on Wednesday.
"We see the United States as a democratic civilized country and believe that this country will fully comply with all relevant international bilateral agreements," he was quoted by news agency Interfax as saying.
Budapest - Delegations from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the European Union arrived in Budapest Wednesday to ensure Hungary is meeting commitments to strict financial housekeeping that were a condition for a huge rescue loan package last year.
The IMF, EU and the World Bank offered Hungary a 25 billion-dollar credit line last October as its economy teetered on the brink of collapse.
Washington - President Barack Obama warned of an economic "catastrophe" if US lawmakers were unable to pass an unprecedented economic stimulus package and slammed Republicans for failing to recognize the outcome of the country's general election last year.
"A failure to act, and act now, will turn crisis into a catastrophe and guarantee a longer recession," Obama warned Wednesday at the White House.
Moscow - Iran's nuclear reactor built by Russia at Bushehr will be switched by the end of this year, the head of Russia's state nuclear energy agency said Thursday.
Prague - Ukraine and the European Union Thursday showed little enthusiasm for Russia's idea to form a consortium of Russia, Ukraine and EU partners that would overlook natural gas transit through Ukraine.
Bishkek/Moscow - The Kyrgyz government on Wednesday moved to shut down a strategic US airbase on its territory, crucial to supplying US and NATO operations in Afghanistan.
Budapest - Delegations from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the European Union arrived in Budapest Wednesday to ensure Hungary is meeting commitments to strict financial housekeeping that were a condition for a huge rescue loan package last year.
Washington - President Barack Obama warned of an economic "catastrophe" if US lawmakers were unable to pass an unprecedented economic stimulus package and slammed Republicans for failing to recognize the outcome of the country's general election last year.
