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Iran determined to expand ties with regional statesTehran Times Political Desk

MANAMA, Bahrain -- Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani has stated that expanding ties with regional countries is a “long-term strategy” of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
“Iran is interested in enhancing cooperation with all regional countries, especially Bahrain,” Larijani told Bahraini Prime Minister Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman al-Khalifa on Tuesday. “The Islamic Republic of Iran has never tried to create problems for any of the regional countries. .. >> http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=180715
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TEHRAN – Israel lacks “goodwill” in negotiations with Syria, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani told Ahmed al-Hassan, a member of the leadership council of Syrian ruling party.
However, Rafsanjani said, “Peace with Syria is very important for the Zionist regime because it will reduce many local and international pressures on this regime.” Recently, Israel and Syria held indirect peace talks through Turkish mediators. It was reported that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was mediating in talks between the two sides. ..>> http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=180719
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Telefonica launches Sao Paulo WiMAX trial
Telefonica Brazil, Motorola and Intel have rolled out WiMAX technology trials in Sao Paulo, BNamericas reports. The pilot project, taking place in the Pinheiros and dos Jardins areas, will include around 150 customers and is designed to explore the technical feasibility, market receptivity and users' evaluation of the technology, in order to make the necessary adjustments to the product format. The three-month trial is utilising the 2.5GHz band and WiMAX equipment based on the 802.16e standard, and is looking to provide broadband internet access with speeds of 2Mbps (download) and 600kbps (upload). Depending on the success of the trial, the pilot could be extended to six months, it said...>> http://www.telegeography.com/cu/article.php?article_id=25759
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H Kινεζική επέλαση στην αφρική συνεχίζεται
Chinese ZTE signs USD400m Ethiopian contract
Chinese equipment provider ZTE has been awarded a USD400 million contract by monopoly operator Ethiopian Telecommunication Corporation (ETC) to expand wireless network infrastructure across the east African country, according to local press reports quoted by Cellular News. The agreement will last between four and five years and, according to reports, around 900,000 wireless telephone lines will be deployed in rural towns in the coming two years. Under the deal, it is anticipated that mobile network coverage will be increased to 64% of the population, with wireless telephony services reaching 90%. ETC, which operates both CDMA and GSM networks, previously said that it intended to increase GSM population coverage to 85% by 2010. According to TeleGeography’s GlobalComms database, Ethiopia is the largest country in Africa that still operates a monopoly in the wireless sector, and there is huge potential demand for services; ETC has over two million mobile users, but this is a tiny percentage of the 79 million people living there. In July it was announced ZTE had agreed to build a national next-generation network for ETC covering 14 cities including the capital, Addis Ababa. Later that month ETC announced that the first phase of its fixed-wireless and mobile CDMA2000 network had been completed in the Addis Ababa region, following a rollout by ZTE. ...>> http://www.telegeography.com/cu/article.php?article_id=25768
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Conflicts might be inevitable in Thailand
2008-10-24 18:07:31
BANGKOK, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's anti-government protesters and government supporters may cause conflicts on Saturday and clash fears were spreading in the capital city of Bangkok. Chamlong Srimuang, leader of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), said on Friday he was afraid that it was unavoidable for blood to be spilled. He told the crowds at Government House that his speech may be the last one or next before last since the outbreak of violence is looming. Chamlong warned that PAD-led protesters will not allow the opposing crowds led by former deputy national police chief Salang Bunnag to dislodge them from Government House. He said the PAD is conducting a review whether non-violence remains an option under the circumstances, particularly when confronting with armed crowds from the Democratic Alliance Against Dictatorship. >>> http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-10/24/content_10246395.htm
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OPEC members divided over oil output cut VIENNA, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) — Members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) were divided over oil output cut on Thursday, one day ahead of an OPEC "extraordinary meeting," to be held in Vienna to address oil price on Friday. Iran, Libya and Venezuela urged the 13-member OPEC to take quick action to cut the output so as to avoid a steep slide in oil prices. Iran's Oil Minister Gholam Hossein Nozari attends the opening ceremony of the Jeddah Energy Meeting June 22, 2008. Speaking to the press, Iranian Oil Minister Gholam Hossein Nozari said a cut of "two million (barrels per day) will stabilize" the market. Libya made the similar call for a reduction of two million barrels per day, while Venezuela said there should be a cut of at least one million barrels. Libya's Oil Minister Shukri Ghanem said "a huge cut" of "two million barrels" was required to create a balance between supply and demand. Venezuelan Oil Minister Rafael D. Ramirez said the OPEC members "have to take some action now, now," adding that Friday's meeting will reach "consensus to take a very, very, very fast action." The price of New York oil dived on Thursday to a new 16-month low in choppy trade. New York's main contract, light sweet crude for December delivery, sank as low as 65.90 U.S. dollars per barrel, which was last seen on June 13, 2007. ..>> http://www.iraq-war.ru/tiki-read_article.php?articleId=179151
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Djibouti to go to war with Eritrea..>> http://www.africanews.com/site/list_messages/21238
Djibouti's president has said his country will have to go to war with Eritrea unless the UN acts to resolve growing tension over a border dispute. Djibouti has accused Eritrea of invading its territory and its ambassador to the UN said Eritrea had been avoiding mediation. Eritrea has said it had no territorial ambitions.
Both France and the US have troops in Djibouti. Its border with Eritrea is at a key strategic point on the Red Sea. But Eritrean ambassador Araya Desta said his country wanted "the cultivation of good neighbourly relations with Djibouti"."Contrary to the claims made, Eritrea has not taken any land that belongs to Djibouti and it does not have any territorial ambitions," he said. Desta instead accused Ethiopia of moving troops to high ground on the border of the three countries, "Ethiopia has built from the Djiboutian side a network of winding roads up the mount and deployed offensive long-range artillery and heavy equipment directed at Eritrea," he said. Since Eritrea gained independence in 1993, the Horn of Africa country has been involved in two serious conflicts over territory with its neighbours. 'Missions rebuffed' Clashes between Eritrea and Djibouti earlier this year left nine Djiboutian troops dead and 60 injured. In June the UN Security Council called on Eritrea and Djibouti to agree to a ceasefire, stressing that Eritrea should pull its forces back, the BBC reporter from the United Nations. France, the former colonial power in Djibouti, is working on presenting a plan to the Security Council reiterating demands for Eritrea to withdraw its forces. France also wants the two sides to talk to each other about their disputed border. Djibouti's ambassador to the UN, Roble Olhaye, said Eritrea had "refused or rebuffed all international mediation.
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Russia appoints ambassadors to South Ossetia & Abkhazia
Russia has appointed ambassadors to the republics of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Meeting the diplomats at the Kremlin, President Dmitry Medvedev noted they will need to undertake their duties at a difficult time since a lot needs to be done in the two young states.
The ambassador to South Ossetia is Elbrus Kargiyev, who had a position with Tskhinval’s authorities some years ago and has recently worked in one of the Russian Foreign Ministry departments alongside Semyon Grigoriyev, who’s been appointed ambassador to Abkhazia.Medvedev appointed the ambassadors to the new states two months after the country officially recognised the republics’ independence from Georgia following Tbilisi's violent attack against South Ossetia in August...>> http://www.russiatoday.com/news/news/32378