Iran's Nuclear Dreams

From the Voice of America....

Iran's foreign minister has turned in his country's new nuclear program proposal to the U.N. Security Council's leading nations. Details of the proposal have yet to be released, but the U.S. envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency says Iran is getting closer to making a nuclear bomb. 

It was a picture-perfect moment. In an attempt to spur nuclear talks, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki presented a package to the ambassadors of leading world powers in Tehran. But, one heavyweight world power was missing.

The United States, which does not have official diplomatic relations with Iran. But U.S. President Barack Obama has called for Iran to discuss its disputed nuclear program with world powers by the end of September.

Iran's ambassador to the U.N. nuclear agency, Aliasghar Soltanieh, says the proposal contains compromises on security, economic and nuclear issues. He says Iran would like to hold a new round of talks within the framework of the presented proposal.

San Francisco's Bay Bridge Reopens

After 70 straight hours of repair work for a crack in the steel link on the easter span of San Francisco's Bay Bridge, the bridge reopens just in time for early morning commuters.  The bridge carries over 260,000 cars a day.  

Day 351

Happy Labor Day! I celebrated by not stitching a handkerchief today.

Day 350

Van Jones Affair

Obama's "green jobs" czar, Van Jones, resigns amid controversy over his past affiliations and statements.  Republicans have slammed him for a petition he signed in 2004 that called for an investigation the Bush administration's involvement in the 9/11 attacks.  

Here also is link to an right-wing editorial that speaks of a "watermelon hypothesis" in regard to Jones' idealogical leanings- red on the inside and green on the outside.  I always find it funny when people make fruit metaphors.  

Day 349

NATO

From Reuters:

NATO officers met air strike victims and their families in Afghanistan on Saturday and their commander took to the TV airwaves in a bid to cool anger over an incident that undermines efforts to win hearts and minds.

Afghan officials say scores of people were killed, many of them civilians, when a U.S. F-15 fighter jet called in by German troops struck two hijacked fuel trucks before dawn on Friday.

NATO hopes to avert a backlash over the incident, which comes two months after the new U.S. and NATO commander, General Stanley McChrystal, ordered new procedures that require extra precautions to protect civilians before troops can open fire.

In an unprecedented televised address to the Afghan people, McChrystal said the attack was launched against what troops thought was a Taliban target. He promised to make the outcome of an investigation public.

"As Commander of the International Security Assistance Force, nothing is more important than the safety and protection of the Afghan people," he said in the taped address, released in versions dubbed into the two official languages, Dari and Pashtu.

"I take this possible loss of life or injury to innocent Afghans very seriously."

Day 348

Syringe Attacks in Urumqui, China

From the AP:

China's security chief blamed Muslim separatists Friday for a string of bizarre needle attacks that drew thousands of angry protesters into the streets as officials disclosed five people were killed and 14 injured during demonstrations in this restive city.

Police fired tear gas to break up continuing protests by thousands of Han Chinese, the country's majority ethnic group, underscoring how unsettled Urumqi remains despite a massive security crackdown following ethnic rioting in July that left 197 people dead.

The Xinjiang region, of which Urumqi is the capital, has for decades faced a simmering separatist movement by Uighurs, a largely Muslim ethnic group.

Day 347

Day 346

Los Angeles Fires

Fires continue to blaze in Los Angeles.  The devastation is currently on its eighth day and has claimed 64 homes and two firefighters.  

Athens Stock Exchange Bomb

A bomb placed in a parked van outside the Athens Stock Exchange exploded today at 5:35am.  Luckily, only one person suffered minor injuries.  No one has claimed responsibility for the bomb, but authorities speculate that the bomb was planted by the far-left paramilitary group, Revolutionary Struggle.  There has been an increase in home-bred terrorist attacks since the shooting of 15 year old Alexandros Grigorpoulos on 6 Dec 2009 in Athens.  

Day 345

Ebay/Skype

More buy out news.....Ebay sells a majority stake in Skype to private investors for $2 billion.