U.S., China in New Nuclear Deal..[ 2016 ]

Officials: U.S., China in New Nuke Security Deal

Published January 19, 2011

Associated Press

AP: The Capitol dome is seen at rear as Chinese and U.S. flags are displayed in Washington ahead of the arrival of China's President Hu Jintao for a state visit hosted by President Obama.

 .

WASHINGTON -- President Obama plans to announce a deal Wednesday to step up cooperation with China on nuclear security, U.S. officials say.

The agreement to be signed by U.S. and Chinese energy officials during the visit of Chinese President Hu Jintao would establish a jointly financed nuclear security center in China.

 .

The U.S. officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the record before Obama's announcement, see the agreement as an opening to expand security cooperation with China.

The announcement comes as the Obama administration is looking for ways to ease tensions between the two world powers over economic, trade and security issues.

.

The United States has spent billions on extensive cooperation on nuclear security with Russia and has often used the issue as way to stimulate further political cooperation. But it has had very limited interaction with China on nuclear security.

The U.S. considers China a vital player in attempts to contain North Korean aggression against South Korea and its development of a nuclear weapon. The U.S. also needs Chinese support to rein in Iran's nuclear ambitions, as China is a U.N. Security Council member.

.

The venture would be aimed at training to improve security at nuclear facilities and accounting of nuclear materials. U.S. officials also hope to hold joint exercises on response to nuclear disasters and terrorism and to share nuclear detection technology.

U.S. officials also say the two countries plan  to open up the center to other countries in Asia, hoping that China can use its influence to improve nuclear security in the region.

Under the agreement to be signed by U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu and China Atomic Energy Authority Chairman Chen Quifa, China would pay for most of the center's budget, but the United States will provide technology and expertise.

The idea for the center was first proposed by Hu at Obama's nuclear security summit in April.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/01/19/officials-china-new-nuke-security-deal/#ixzz1BTzOQwmo

Iran tests missile system..{ 2015 ]

Iran tests ‘Hag’ missile system

19.01.2011 15:34

 

.

The Hatamul-Anbiya Air Attack Protection Staff has tested a new generation "Hag" medium-range anti-aircraft defense missile system to protect Iran's nuclear facilities, the Fars news agency reported.

.

The missile system was improved by Hatamul-Anbiya staff and successfully tested.

"The testing was conducted to check the state of the missile system," Hatamul-Anbiya Staff Deputy Chief Abulfazi Farmahini said.

Farmahini also lauded the "professionalism" of Iran's air defense forces. 

Israeli tanks raid in Gaza Strip ...[ 2014 ]

Israeli tanks take part in deadly Gaza Strip raid

BBC.,,18 January 2011 Last updated at 16:12 GMT 

AFP news agency reported that seven tanks had made a limited incursion 200m into Palestinian territory on Tuesday, sparking a shootout with militants.

Other reports suggested armoured vehicles and bulldozers were involved.

Hamas emergency services spokesman Adham Abu Salmiya said Amjad al-Zaanein, 23, had been killed by Israeli tank fire east of Beit Hanoun.

 

Israeli tanks have entered the northern Gaza Strip, sparking fighting that killed one Palestinian and injured two.

Local Palestinians said the casualties had been collecting stones to recycle into bricks when they came under fire.

Israel's military said it was responding to an attack by Palestinian militants who had detonated an explosive device targeting an army patrol along the border.

"A short while after the incident, soldiers identified two militants handling the device trigger system and consequently opened fire on them," a military spokeswoman was quoted as telling AFP. "A hit was confirmed."

Cross-border violence has escalated in recent weeks. Hamas, the Islamic militant group that rules the enclave, has appealed for calm, urging other militant factions to stop their attacks on Israel.

It is two years since a war in Gaza which left 1,300 Palestinians and 13 Israelis dead.

NASA Image of thr Day, Jan 18th., ..[ 2013 \

The latest NASA "Image of the Day" image.

Seeing Red

This image by the Hubble Space Telescope shows a dramatic view of the spiral galaxy M51, dubbed the Whirlpool Galaxy. Seen in near-infrared light, most of the starlight has been removed, revealing the Whirlpool's skeletal dust structure. 

 .

This new image is the sharpest view of the dense dust in M51. The narrow lanes of dust revealed by Hubble reflect the galaxy's moniker, the Whirlpool Galaxy, as if they were swirling toward the galaxy's core.

Image Credit: NASA, ESA, M. Regan and B. Whitmore (STScI), R. Chandar (University of Toledo), S. Beckwith (STScI), and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)

Τρίτη, 18 Ιανουάριος 2011 7:00:00 πμ

Siberia : impractical high-heeled boots.....[ 2012 ]

Siberian ice maidens trample on Russian tradition

By Katia Moskvitch BBC News, Novosibirsk

17 January 2011 Last updated at 15:43 GMT  

 

Medical experts argue that high heels are unsuited to the extreme cold

It is -35C in Siberia's main city, Novosibirsk, but many young women here are tottering through the snow in elegant, but perhaps rather impractical high-heeled boots.

And that, despite doctors' warnings and attempts by fashion professionals to promote far warmer traditional Russian footwear.

Even at extremely low temperatures, high heels are still the number one choice for many here. And they contrast sharply with the felt boots, "valenki", worn by headscarved babushki in padded jackets or long fur coats.

The city is covered in white. The crisp snow underfoot squeaks with every step, and the air is so cold, it is easier to breathe with your mouth and nose completely covered.

Ksenia, 22, strolls through Novosibirsk's main square, passing by the huge Lenin monument and walking hastily through snow and ice towards the renowned Opera Theatre.

"Valenki" - felt boots

• Traditional Russian boots
• Made of wool felt
• Not waterproof but rubber soles are available
• Simple valenki cost 15 euros (£12; $20)
• Decorated valenki cost double
• Designer valenki run into the hundreds
• Have led to Russian pejorative phrase "thick as a felt boot"

Like many other young women here, she seems dressed rather out-of-synch with the Arctic-like conditions, wearing high-heeled boots, a pair of skinny jeans, a jacket and a thin hat.

But she happily justifies her choice of footwear.

"15-cm high heels are ideal for winter, and actually I wear them all year round," she says.

"They are great for walking in deep snow; they don't slip and I never get cold, as I am touching the ground only with the front of my foot."

For 20-year-old student Tatiana, high heels are a matter of fashion as well as habit.

"I want to be attractive any time, even when it's freezing outside," she says, stopping briefly before going into the Novosibirsk underground.

Health issues

Other women reserve high heels for special occasions. Lena, a 25-year-old lawyer, says that she has put on her stylish leather boots with 10cm heels to go see an opera.

 

Novosibirsk's shoe shops do a brisk trade in high heels throughout the year

"I live nearby, and of course I want to look nice when I go to the theatre, especially when it is only 15 minutes away," says Lena.

For her, she says, health is very important, and if she has to spend more time outside in extreme weather conditions, she chooses warmer and more comfortable footwear.

That is what doctors here recommend, too. Dr Vera Runkova, a diagnostician from a Novosibirsk state municipal clinic, warns that high heels are not an appropriate choice of footwear for harsh winters.

"When you are young, you sometimes don't care about your future and showing off in a short jacket and thin-soled boots may not bother you," says Dr Runkova. 

.

She explains that although many winter high-heeled boots do come with fur inside, they are still not as warm as other winter footwear, developed specifically for extremely cold weather. 

.

"Many of these girls will be mothers, or already are, and they forget that dressing lightly may lead to all sorts of inflammations, problems with ovaries and kidneys, and even inability to have children," she says, adding that wearing high heels for long periods of time also puts enormous strain on the back.

Ethno-style

Yelena Vayman, an independent stylist from Novosibirsk, says that there are other, more appropriate choices of winter footwear in Russia.

“Start Quote

Russian "valenki" look very pretty when they're decorated with all sorts of ornaments”

End Quote Yelena Vayman Independent stylist

 

She says Russian girls could easily "dress to impress" without flirting with frostbite.

One way, she says, would be to take advantage of Russia's cultural heritage.

"Ethno-style is becoming more popular now - it is based on the knowledge of our traditions and modernising our ancestors' wardrobe," she says.

 .

"For example, traditional Russian valenki look very pretty when they're decorated with all sorts of ornaments. Wearing a Pavlovo-Posad woollen shawl over a fur coat could make a nice touch as well." 

.

But despite designers' attempts to promote decorated valenki, you will struggle to find any young women wearing them in Siberia.

You can find felt boots for children in Novosibirsk, but in five shoe shops in the city centre there are none on sale for adults.

They do, however, do a brisk trade in high heels all year round, even when it is -35C.