TEHRAN, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) — Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Wednesday that the Islamic Republic would not step back “an iota” from its nuclear path, following the release of a report from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) the previous day saying that Iran has engaged in activities relevant to the development of nuclear weapons.

Addressing a crowd in the central city of Shahr-e-Kord, Ahmadinejad said that “They (Westerners and IAEA) accuse us of building a nuclear bomb.” Continue Reading

ROME, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) — Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said on Wednesday he will not stand if Italy holds early elections, a day after promising to step down once parliament approves urgent budget reforms for 2012.

“I will resign as soon as the law is passed. Since I believe there is no other majority possible, I see elections being held at the beginning of February and I will not be a candidate in them,” he told his own “Canale 5″ television station. Continue Reading

SAN FRANCISCO — Financial services company American Express on Tuesday announced a 100 million-U.S. dollar investment plan to fund early stage digital commerce startups, as part of a multi-year initiative designed to help accelerate the company’s digital transformation.

In a press release, the company said that the digital commerce initiative will be managed out of its newly established office in Silicon Valley. Continue Reading

BAIKONUR, Kazakhstan — A Russian Mars probe launched early Wednesday has failed to reach its intended orbit, Russia’s space agency was quoted as saying.

The abnormality occurred after the Phobos-Grunt probe had separated from the Zenit-2SB launch vehicle, which blasted off from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan at 2016 GMT Tuesday, the RIA Novosti news agency reported. Continue Reading

HAVANA, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) — President Raul Castro has named Army Corps General Leopoldo Cintra Frias minister of the Cuban Armed Revolutionary Forces (FAR), the government says.

Frias served previously as first vice minister of FAR and replaced Army Corps General Julio Casas Regueiro, who passed away on Sept. 3.

A government release said Tuesday that Frias is a hero of Cuba and a member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Cuban Communist Party (CCP). Continue Reading

NEW DELHI — India said on Wednesday “trust deficit” with Pakistan was “shrinking” and there was a very positive atmosphere before the prime ministers of the two countries are expected to meet in Maldives on Thursday, according to the Press Trust of India.

Indian External Affairs Minister S. M. Krishna told reporters before leaving for Maldives that he was very optimistic about the forward movement during the meeting as the “trust level has gone up between the two countries.” Continue Reading

BEIJING, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) — China on Wednesday again voiced its opposition to the development of nuclear weapons in any Middle East country.

“China opposes nuclear proliferation and doesn’t approve of any Middle East country developing nuclear weapons,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said at the daily press briefing.

Hong’s comments came one day after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in its latest report that credible evidence showed Iran has engaged in projects and experiments relevant to the development of nuclear weapons.
Continue Reading

VIENNA, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) — Iran has engaged in activities relevant to the development of nuclear weapons, according to an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report obtained by media Tuesday.

In the latest report on Iran’s nuclear program, the UN nuclear watchdog listed a series of “credible” evidence that Iran was carrying out projects and experiments suspected of linking with a nuclear warhead design at least until 2010. Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, November 8 (Tantao News) – The top stories making headlines right now:

Europe:
Italy –Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi offered a conditional resignation on Tuesday, in that he step down but only after Parliament passes an austerity package demanded by the European Union.

Under Berlusconi’s offer, once he formally steps down, the President would then begin talks with various parliamentary leaders to decide whether to go to call for elections or try to form a new government with the existing political assembly.

There was no timetable as to Berlusconi’s conditional resignation offer. Continue Reading

SEOUL — South Korea will resume humanitarian aid to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) through the World Health Organization (WHO), local media reported Tuesday.

South Korea donated 13.12 million U.S. dollars to the UN agency in 2009, but has not allowed the use of the remaining 6.94 million dollars since inter-Korean relations froze following two deadly border incidents last year that killed 50 South Koreans.

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BANGKOK — Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said on Tuesday she had cancelled her plan to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) forum in Hawaii, USA, from November 12 to 14 because of flooding. Continue Reading

MANAGUA, Nov. 7 (Xinhua) — Daniel Ortega, Nicaraguan incumbent president and candidate of the ruling Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN), won a landslide re-election victory in Sunday’s polls, election authorities confirmed on Monday.

Supreme Electoral Council President Roberto Rivas announced that Ortega won the elections after obtaining 62.65 percent of the vote, with votes counted in 85.8 percent of polling stations in the Central American nation. Continue Reading

LIMA, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) — Peru is emerging as a major trading partner of China in Latin America and enjoys broad benefit from the robust bilateral trade, a senior official said on Monday.

“The relations aided by the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) are very rewarding because Peru is becoming the largest trading partner of China in Latin America,” Raul Eduardo Bresani, director of Asia and Oceania affairs in the Foreign Ministry, told Xinhua. Continue Reading