IAEA finds more uranium in Iran
REUTERS[ SATURDAY, APRIL 03, 2004 04:20:41 AM ]
VIENNA : The UN atomic watchdog has found traces of bomb-grade uranium in Iran at sites other than the two already named, but diplomats said on Friday it was unclear if this boosted US claims that Tehran wants an atom bomb.
“They found highly-enriched uranium at more sites than Kalaye and Natanz,” a Western diplomat said. The diplomat did not specify how many sites, where they were or when the traces were found.
Last year, the IAEA reported finding traces of uranium that had been enriched to a point where it contained about 90 percent of the fissile uranium atom U-235 at the Natanz enrichment plant and a workshop at the Kalaye Electric Company.
Sources said the watchdog had discovered traces at other sites.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/597556.cmsIran hikes price of petrol by 23 percent
Friday, April 02, 2004
©2004 IranMania News
TEHRAN, April 2 (AFP) - Iran has hiked the price of petrol by up to 23 percent in a bid to ease the burden of heavy subsidies and its need to import fuel due to its low refining capacity, state television reported Friday.
But pump prices remain among the lowest in the world, with a litre of standard fuel going up from 650 to 800 rials (eight cents to nearly 10 cents) and super up from 900 to 1,100 rials.
The price hikes are part of the country's annual budget, and take effect from midnight Saturday.
The government has predicted inflation will stands at 15.9 percent for the financial year that began on March 20, but analysts believe the rise in petrol prices risk pushing that figure higher due to the knock-on effect on commodities prices.
Tehran has decided to impose a series of taxes to increase the price of petrol in a bid to discourage the use of private vehicles, cut fuel consumption and ease pollution, particularly in the capital.
But the still modest prices are unlikely to dramatically decrease consumption in major cities, where the public transport system remains hopelessly inadequate.
According to official figures, 56 million liters of petrol are consumed per day in Iran. Last year, the country imported one billion dollars of petrol to meet domestic demand. That figure is expected to rise to 1.6 billion dollars this year.
Iranian cars are mostly old and consume on average 17 liters per 100 kilometers, three times more than the average vehicle on Europe's roads.
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