2 centrifuge ir

VIENNA, Austria - Iran has linked hundreds of centrifuges - machines to enrich uranium - reflecting a possible intention to speed up the process, diplomats linked to the International Agency for Atomic Energy said in interviews here this week. All of them asked for anonymity.
One diplomat said more than 300 centrifuges had been linked up in two separate units in an underground enrichment plant and a third unit was being assembled. He said the machines apparently are the sophisticated IR-2 centrifuge Tehran recently acknowledged testing.
But a second diplomat said that although the new work appeared to include advanced centrifuges, they were not IR-2s. A third said the machines were not running. Uranium enrichment can produce both fuel for power plants and the fissile core of nuclear warheads. - AP
TOKYO - Japanese police arrested a U.S. sailor yesterday in the stabbing death of a taxi driver near an American naval base outside Tokyo, fueling anger here over crimes allegedly involving U.S. troops.
Olatunbosun Ugbogu, 22, a Nigerian national, was arrested on murder and robbery charges, and had confessed, a local police spokesman said. Japanese officials reacted sharply to the arrest.
Public anger over the U.S. military presence is mounting after a series of allegations against U.S. servicemen. A 14-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a U.S. Marine in February on Okinawa, sparking protests. Prosecutors dropped charges against the Marine after the girl withdrew her complaint. In Yokosuka, a Japanese court convicted a U.S. sailor of robbing and fatally beating a 56-year-old Japanese woman and sentenced him to life in prison. - AP
DUBLIN, Ireland - The path quickly cleared yesterday for Finance Minister Brian Cowen to become Ireland’s next prime minister after the entire cabinet backed him to replace Bertie Ahern.
Cowen, 48, who is also deputy prime minister, was poised to be the only candidate after nominations close tomorrow for the next leader of Fianna Fail, Ireland’s perennial No. 1 party.

philly.com


Tags: , ,