Iran says sanctions have not hurt nuclear ambitions



TEHRAN // A defiant Iran said on Saturday its controversial uranium enrichment programme was progressing "very strongly," as it opened the doors of two of its nuclear sites to foreign diplomats.

The declaration by foreign minister and atomic chief Ali Akbar Salehi came just days ahead of a high-profile meeting between Tehran and six world powers over the Islamic republic's nuclear programme.

Salehi's remarks were also a reaction to a comment by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that Iran's nuclear programme was being hampered by international sanctions.

"The recent sanctions did not create any problems for our nuclear activities," Salehi told a news conference broadcast on state television from the central city of Arak.

"Our nuclear activities are going forward strongly. Our activities, especially in (uranium) enrichment, are also continuing very strongly ... The production of enriched uranium is growing."

World powers, led by Washington, want Tehran to stop the uranium enrichment, which they suspect is aimed at making weapons. Iran denies the charge.

To try to ascertain whether Iran is making nuclear weapons from the enriched uranium, Britain, China, France, Russia, the United States and Germany are to sit down with Tehran on January 21 and 22 in Istanbul.

Iran currently has around 3,200 kilogrammes (7,000 pounds) of uranium enriched to 3.5 percent level, and nearly 40 kilogrammes of the material refined to 20 percent level.

On Monday, Clinton said in Abu Dhabi that Iran's nuclear programme was hit by a series of sanctions imposed since June 2009 by the UN Security Council and individual countries.

"They have made it much more difficult for Iran to pursue its nuclear ambitions," she said. "Iran has technological problems that has made it slow down its timetable."

In the past, Clinton has said sanctions had begun to hurt Iran economically, forcing it to return to negotiations, but she had not previously said the nuclear programme was being affected.

Salehi said the two-day tour by foreign diplomats of its enrichment plants at Natanz and the heavy water facility in Arak that began on Saturday was a sign of Tehran's peaceful nuclear goals.

"This visit is an evidence that Iran has nothing to hide. Iran is probably the only country to open its (atomic) sites to visitors," said Salehi, who spearheads the nuclear programme.

"We have a just course. What we say is truth and nothing but the truth."

The visiting diplomats went on Saturday to the still-unfinished Arak facility, where Salehi also announced that Iran has begun making nuclear compounds manufactured from the plant's heavy water.

State television said these could be used in the fields of medicine, including for treating bone cancer, and agriculture.

Iran had invited several representatives of member states of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to visit the two plants.

Those participating are representatives of the Non-Aligned Movement troika, the Group of 77, the Arab League, Syria, Venezuela and Oman, according to the Iranian envoy to the IAEA, Ali Asghar Soltanieh.

The tour has been snubbed by the European Union, and by Iran's key allies Russia and China. Iran did not invite the United States, Britain, France and Germany.

"China and Russia have their own political considerations ... Our goal is not to divide the five-plus-one, but is to show our progress and transparency," Salehi said, referring to the six world powers.

Earlier on Saturday, Soltanieh said China was represented at the tour but did not reveal at what level.

The European Union declined Iran's tour invitation outright, saying the IAEA "are the people who have to inspect the Iranian nuclear facilities."

Soltanieh said the visit was "for agency (IAEA) ambassadors and not linked to agency inspections." He added that the European Union had missed a "historic opportunity" but that "we respect their decision."

Such visits to Iran's atomic sites are infrequent. The last trip that Tehran arranged for members of the IAEA was in February 2007.

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Need to know

When: October 17 until November 10

Cost: Entry is free but some events require prior registration

Where: Various locations including National Theatre (Abu Dhabi), Abu Dhabi Cultural Center, Zayed University Promenade, Beach Rotana (Abu Dhabi), Vox Cinemas at Yas Mall, Sharjah Youth Center

What: The Korea Festival will feature art exhibitions, a B-boy dance show, a mini K-pop concert, traditional dance and music performances, food tastings, a beauty seminar, and more.

For more information: www.koreafestivaluae.com

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Analysis

Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more

T20 World Cup Qualifier

October 18 – November 2

Opening fixtures

Friday, October 18

ICC Academy: 10am, Scotland v Singapore, 2.10pm, Netherlands v Kenya

Zayed Cricket Stadium: 2.10pm, Hong Kong v Ireland, 7.30pm, Oman v UAE

UAE squad

Ahmed Raza (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Rameez Shahzad, Darius D’Silva, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Boota, Zawar Farid, Ghulam Shabber, Junaid Siddique, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Waheed Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Zahoor Khan

Players out: Mohammed Naveed, Shaiman Anwar, Qadeer Ahmed

Players in: Junaid Siddique, Darius D’Silva, Waheed Ahmed

Bio

Age: 25

Town: Al Diqdaqah – Ras Al Khaimah

Education: Bachelors degree in mechanical engineering

Favourite colour: White

Favourite place in the UAE: Downtown Dubai

Favourite book: A Life in Administration by Ghazi Al Gosaibi.

First owned baking book: How to Be a Domestic Goddess by Nigella Lawson.

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Engine: 80 kWh four-wheel-drive

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Power: 402bhp

Torque: 760Nm

Price: From Dh280,000

TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:

- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools

- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say

- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance

- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs

- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills

- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month

- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues

UAE v Gibraltar

What: International friendly

When: 7pm kick off

Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City

Admission: Free

Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page

UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)

The Laughing Apple

Yusuf/Cat Stevens

(Verve Decca Crossover)

ABU DHABI ORDER OF PLAY

Starting at 10am:

Daria Kasatkina v Qiang Wang

Veronika Kudermetova v Annet Kontaveit (10)

Maria Sakkari (9) v Anastasia Potapova

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova v Ons Jabeur (15)

Donna Vekic (16) v Bernarda Pera 

Ekaterina Alexandrova v Zarina Diyas

The National Archives, Abu Dhabi

Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.

Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en

EXPATS
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ULTRA PROCESSED FOODS

- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns 

- Margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars

- Energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces

- Infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes

- Many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts

The Brutalist

Director: Brady Corbet

Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn

Rating: 3.5/5

India squads

Test squad against Afghanistan: Rahane (c), Dhawan, Vijay, Rahul, Pujara, Karun, Saha, Ashwin, Jadeja, Kuldeep, Umesh, Shami, Pandya, Ishant, Thakur.

T20 squad against Ireland and England: Kohli (c), Dhawan, Rohit, Rahul, Raina, Pandey, Dhoni, Karthik, Chahal, Kuldeep, Sundar, Bhuvneshwar, Bumrah, Pandya, Kaul, Umesh.

ODI squad against England: Kohli (c), Dhawan, Rohit, Rahul, Shreyas, Rayudu, Dhoni, Karthik, Chahal, Kuldeep, Sundar, Bhuvneshwar, Bumrah, Pandya, Kaul, Umesh