Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says he will bring at least two women into his new cabinet - the first such appointments in Iran since the 1970s.
He told Iran TV he would propose Fatemeh Ajorlou as social security minister and Marzieh Vahid Dastjerdi as health minister, among others.
Mr Ahmadinejad was sworn in for a second term on 5 August amid a crisis triggered by disputed polls in June.
Meanwhile another 28 people have gone on trial over post-election unrest.
More than 100 people are already on trial in Iran following the election, among them a number of senior politicians.
The trials have been criticised by several foreign powers, opposition groups and human rights campaigners, but authorities insist their legal proceedings are completely legitimate and conform to international standards of justice.
'Rightful demands'
The latest trial comes a day after Mr Ahmadinejad's main opponent in the election, Mir Hossein Mousavi, vowed to continue challenging the result in a social movement called Green Path of Hope.
"The Green Path of Hope is formed for the sake of people's rightful demands and for claiming their rights," the reformist Etemad Melli newspaper quoted him as saying.
Official election results awarded Mr Ahmadinejad a sweeping victory in the polls. He is expected to announce his full cabinet line-up on Wednesday.
MPs have to approve the ministers in a confidence vote, and have warned the president that they must be "experienced", amid criticisms of his frequent reshuffles and dismissals during his first term.
Foreign media, including the BBC, have been restricted in their coverage of Iran in the wake of the election protests.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Women 'to join Iranian cabinet'
Friday, August 14, 2009
Google adding 'Caffeine' jolt to search upgrade for challenge with microsoft
Most people would agree that a little jolt of caffeine is just what the body needs to kick into high gear and start moving a bit faster in the morning.Apparently, caffeine can have the same effect on Google Inc.'s search engine.
Caffeine is actually the internal code name for a "secret" upgrade to Google's search technology, one the company says is designed to help users scour the Web faster, while returning more results with greater accuracy and comprehensiveness.
According to a post on the Google Webmaster Central blog, the new upgrades sit "under the hood" of the Google search engine, so most users won't immediately notice a big difference in their search results.
"But Web developers and power searchers might notice a few differences, so we're opening up a Web developer preview to collect feedback," wrote Google software engineers Sitaram Iyer and Matt Cutts.
Although Google maintains a stranglehold on the market for Web queries both in the United States and around the world -- accounting for 65% of U.S. searches in June, according to comScore Inc. -- the Mountain View, Calif. company has recently ceded some of the search engine spotlight to Microsoft Corp.
Microsoft first earned kudos from developers and a significant amount of buzz from the online community after releasing a revamped version of its search engine, Bing, in June and then following it up by striking a deal with Yahoo Inc. to provide search technology on sites owned by the Web pioneer on July 29.
Bing is seen by many as Microsoft's best search offering to date, while the Yahoo deal gives the world's largest software company access to about 28% of the overall search market, presenting a more formidable opponent for Google.
Google is inviting developers to test out its technology upgrades and offer their thoughts on the differences between caffeine and Google's traditional search engine, including feedback on which sites are ranking higher or lower in the new system.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Iran: US nationals nabbed over 'illegal entry'
Iran's security officials confirm the arrest of three American nationals in Western city of Marivan, charging the detainees with "illegal entry".
“The three, who have not been identified yet, were arrested on the Malakh- Khur border area in Marivan," Iraj Hassanzadeh, the deputy governor of Kurdistan for political-security affairs, told Fars news agency.
He said the 'middle-aged' men were traveling on Syrian and Iraqi visas, noting all those who try to 'illegally' cross Iran's borders will be arrested.
The US had earlier asked Swiss embassy in Tehran -- which looks after US interests in Iran as the two countries have no diplomatic ties -- to follow the case of the three Americans.
A Kurdish official in northern Iraq told AFP that the US nationals were backpackers who were arrested after warnings on the Iraqi side not to hike in the mountains because of the proximity of the border with Iran.
However, Colonel Anwar Haj Omar of the Halabja police force in northern Iraq linked the three Americans to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), according to Voices of Iraq.
Head of the Iranian Parliament's foreign policy committee, Alaeddin Boroujerdi, has said the case will take its natural course.
RE : Presstv
Friday, July 24, 2009
US public against Afghanistan, Iraq wars
As the Obama administration struggles to handle the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, a majority of Americans are against the long-fought wars, a new poll says.
The AP-GfK Poll released on Thursday showed that 63% of respondents oppose the war in Iraq and 53% oppose the war in Afghanistan.
This is while 34% favor the Iraq battlefield and 44% favor the conflict in Afghanistan, according to the poll.
The survey also revealed that 56% of Americans approve President Barack Obama's handling of the situation in Iraq and 55% approve his handling of Afghanistan. Both numbers are down just slightly since April.
July is already the deadliest month of the war for both US and NATO forces with 63 international troops killed, including 35 Americans and 19 Britons.
Seven and half years after the US-led coalition invaded Afghanistan to allegedly root out the country's militancy US Vice-President Joe Biden in an interview with the BBC said that groups based on Afghanistan's border with Pakistan could 'wreak havoc' on the US and Europe.
"In terms of national interest of Great Britain, the US and Europe, (the war) is worth the effort we are making and the sacrifice that is being felt," he added.
The US Vice President also warned "there are more to come" and US and UK casualties could be expected to climb.
The poll has been released days after US Defense Secretary Robert Gates acknowledged that the Obama administration will risk losing public support for the war in Afghanistan if the coalition forces fail to turn the situation around within a year.
The poll was conducted July 16-20 and involved landline and cell phone interviews with 1,006 adults nationwide.
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TechnoratiMilitary practice causes devastating fire in France
One of France's worst fires for three years has raged on the eastern outskirts of Marseille burning dozens of homes.
The wildfire caused after military practice shelling hit the eastern Trois-Ponts suburb of the southern city, forcing the evacuation of scores of residents.
The fire moved down a hill outside the city and threatened the Trois-Ponts district where residents sprayed water on the outside of their houses before they moved out. People in neighboring La Barasse also left their homes, although local authorities said no evacuation order had been issued.
A thick black smoke swirled around the district and many residents angrily criticized the French Army which had staged the artillery training at its Carpiagne camp just before the fire started.
Regional Prefect Michel Sappin confirmed that the blaze had been started by the shelling, lashing out at the "imbecilic" action that had led to "an annoying and serious" situation in a zone close to a city and saying he was "exasperated."
"In such weather conditions, with high winds, the army should refrain from carrying out shelling practice," he said
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Second air crash in Iran during one month
Iran-Mashhad : Sixteen die in Aria Air plane crash in Mashhad
At least 16 people have been killed and 21 others have been injured when an Aria Air plane crash-landed in the northeastern city of Mashhad.
The plane en route to the northeastern city of Mashhad from Tehran crashed as it was attempting to make an emergency landing at the destination at about 18:00 (1430 GMT) Friday, reported Fars news agency.
The aircraft, an Ilyushin Il-62 jet, had 160 passengers and crewmembers onboard. Earlier reports had put the number of deaths at 30 and the number of injured at 20.
Images obtained by Press TV show the cockpit and front part of the fuselage completely destroyed, and the aircraft tipping back on its tail, with the main landing-gear deployed.
The aircraft' was likely to have been the UP-I6208, which indicates that it was registered in Kazakhstan.
A spokesman for the airport said that emergency services were carrying the injured to nearby hospitals, and a full breakdown of deaths and injuries will be provided later.
Post incident videos also show that one of the central emergency chutes on the left side of the cabin had been deployed.
The Il-62 is a long-range airliner with a capacity of about 185 passengers and a fair service record.
The incident comes less than 10 days after another Iranian airliner, a Tupolev-154M, crashed shortly after take-off from Tehran en route to the Armenian capital of Yerevan on July 15, killing all 168 passengers onboard. The cause of the crash has not yet been determined.
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Top 10 Most Expensive Military Planes
There are many Expensive Military planes in the world.
we can watch the picture also movie from top 10 most expensive military planes in 2009.
B-2 Spirit: $2.4 billion
The B-2 bomber was so costly that Congress cut its initial 1987 purchase order from 132 to 21. (A 2008 crash leaves the current number at 20.) The B-2 is hard to detect via infrared, acoustic, electromagnetic, visual or radar signals. This stealth capability makes it able to attack enemy targets with less fear of retaliation. In use since 1993, the B-2 has been deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan.
F-22 Raptor: $350 million
First conceived during the Cold War as an airframe to vie with Soviet aircraft that was never built, the F-22 is touted by manufacturer Lockheed Martin as the best overall combat plane in the world — not to mention the most expensive. It can shoot down enemy cruise missiles, fly long distances at supersonic speeds and avoid nearly all types of radar detection. But the Senate debate over whether to build seven more — at a taxpayer cost of $1.67 billion — eventually came down to the plane's job-creating abilities. The axed project would have employed 25,000 Americans.
C17A Globemaster III: $328 million
The Air Force military-transport plane is used to move troops into war zones, perform medical evacuations and conduct airdrop missions. There are 190 C17As in service; the aircraft is propelled by four turbofan engines (of the same type used on the twin-engine Boeing 757) and can drop 102 paratroopers at once. In operation since 1993, it has been used to deliver troops and humanitarian aid to Afghanistan and Iraq.
P-8A Poseidon: $290 million
Boeing's spruced-up military version of its 737 jet will be used by the Navy to conduct anti-submarine warfare and gather intelligence. It can carry torpedoes, missiles, depth charges and other weapons. The P-8A is expected to go into service in 2013.
VH-71 Kestrel: $241 million
This high-tech helicopter project, intended to replace the President's aging chopper fleet, was running more than 50% over budget by the time Barack Obama took office. Soon after his Inauguration, the President announced plans to scrap the helicopters because of cost overruns. On July 22, however, the House Appropriations Committee unanimously approved restoring $485 million to fund the Kestrels.
E-2D Advanced Hawkeye: $232 million
A major step forward for surveillance and reconnaissance, the Advanced Hawkeye's powerful new radar system will increase the range of territory an aircraft can monitor by 300%. "It can probably watch the pistachios pop in Iran," an analyst for the think tank Lexington Institute told National Defense in July. Though development of the plane is on track and two test versions have been delivered to the Navy, budget cuts may keep the planes grounded for at least a year longer than planned.
F-35 Lightning II: $122 million
Lockheed Martin's 2001 deal to build these stealth, supersonic fighter jets was at the time the largest military contract ever. The F-35s, intended to replace an aging aircraft arsenal, were developed as part of a Joint Strike Fighter program between the U.S. and its allies and were criticized as underpowered and overweight — and therefore easy targets. Making matters worse, from 2007 to 2008, cyberspies infiltrated the 7.5 million lines of computer code that powered the Joint Strike Fighter, raising concerns that enemies could copy the F-35's design and exploit its weaknesses. In April 2009, Lockheed Martin said it did not believe the program had been compromised.
EA-18G Growler: $102 million
Hot off the presses, the Growler is a lightly armed version of the F/A-18 fighter that has been updated for electronic warfare (it is currently being delivered to the Navy). Growlers are capable of not only finding and disrupting anti-aircraft radar, but also jamming enemy communications.
F/A-18 Hornet: $94 million
First entering service in the 1980s, the twin-engine fighter plane was the U.S.'s first strike fighter — an aircraft capable of attacking both ground and aerial targets. It has seen action in Operation Desert Storm and as the aircraft of the Navy's Blue Angels Flight Demonstration Squadron. The F/A-18 is also used by Canada, Australia, Finland, Kuwait, Malaysia, Spain and Switzerland.
we can watch the picture also movie from top 10 most expensive military planes in 2009.
B-2 Spirit: $2.4 billion
The B-2 bomber was so costly that Congress cut its initial 1987 purchase order from 132 to 21. (A 2008 crash leaves the current number at 20.) The B-2 is hard to detect via infrared, acoustic, electromagnetic, visual or radar signals. This stealth capability makes it able to attack enemy targets with less fear of retaliation. In use since 1993, the B-2 has been deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan.
F-22 Raptor: $350 millionFirst conceived during the Cold War as an airframe to vie with Soviet aircraft that was never built, the F-22 is touted by manufacturer Lockheed Martin as the best overall combat plane in the world — not to mention the most expensive. It can shoot down enemy cruise missiles, fly long distances at supersonic speeds and avoid nearly all types of radar detection. But the Senate debate over whether to build seven more — at a taxpayer cost of $1.67 billion — eventually came down to the plane's job-creating abilities. The axed project would have employed 25,000 Americans.
C17A Globemaster III: $328 millionThe Air Force military-transport plane is used to move troops into war zones, perform medical evacuations and conduct airdrop missions. There are 190 C17As in service; the aircraft is propelled by four turbofan engines (of the same type used on the twin-engine Boeing 757) and can drop 102 paratroopers at once. In operation since 1993, it has been used to deliver troops and humanitarian aid to Afghanistan and Iraq.
P-8A Poseidon: $290 millionBoeing's spruced-up military version of its 737 jet will be used by the Navy to conduct anti-submarine warfare and gather intelligence. It can carry torpedoes, missiles, depth charges and other weapons. The P-8A is expected to go into service in 2013.
VH-71 Kestrel: $241 millionThis high-tech helicopter project, intended to replace the President's aging chopper fleet, was running more than 50% over budget by the time Barack Obama took office. Soon after his Inauguration, the President announced plans to scrap the helicopters because of cost overruns. On July 22, however, the House Appropriations Committee unanimously approved restoring $485 million to fund the Kestrels.
E-2D Advanced Hawkeye: $232 millionA major step forward for surveillance and reconnaissance, the Advanced Hawkeye's powerful new radar system will increase the range of territory an aircraft can monitor by 300%. "It can probably watch the pistachios pop in Iran," an analyst for the think tank Lexington Institute told National Defense in July. Though development of the plane is on track and two test versions have been delivered to the Navy, budget cuts may keep the planes grounded for at least a year longer than planned.
F-35 Lightning II: $122 millionLockheed Martin's 2001 deal to build these stealth, supersonic fighter jets was at the time the largest military contract ever. The F-35s, intended to replace an aging aircraft arsenal, were developed as part of a Joint Strike Fighter program between the U.S. and its allies and were criticized as underpowered and overweight — and therefore easy targets. Making matters worse, from 2007 to 2008, cyberspies infiltrated the 7.5 million lines of computer code that powered the Joint Strike Fighter, raising concerns that enemies could copy the F-35's design and exploit its weaknesses. In April 2009, Lockheed Martin said it did not believe the program had been compromised.
V-22 Osprey: $118 million
This tiltrotor aircraft, which takes off and lands like a helicopter but can fly faster and farther like a fixed-wing plane, was first used in combat in Iraq in 2007. The Osprey's production has been bedeviled by design and construction problems: the craft claimed the lives of at least 30 Marines and civilians during its development alone (former Vice President Dick Cheney tried repeatedly to ground the plane). Still, because of its range and versatility, the Marine Corps plans to deploy a squadron of V-22s to Afghanistan by the end of the year.
EA-18G Growler: $102 million
Hot off the presses, the Growler is a lightly armed version of the F/A-18 fighter that has been updated for electronic warfare (it is currently being delivered to the Navy). Growlers are capable of not only finding and disrupting anti-aircraft radar, but also jamming enemy communications.
F/A-18 Hornet: $94 millionFirst entering service in the 1980s, the twin-engine fighter plane was the U.S.'s first strike fighter — an aircraft capable of attacking both ground and aerial targets. It has seen action in Operation Desert Storm and as the aircraft of the Navy's Blue Angels Flight Demonstration Squadron. The F/A-18 is also used by Canada, Australia, Finland, Kuwait, Malaysia, Spain and Switzerland.
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