Iran, big powers agree to hold more nuclear talks in June

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iran and world powers agreed to meet again in Moscow next month for more talks to try to end the long-running dispute over Tehran's nuclear programme, but there was scant progress to resolve the main sticking points between the two sides.

At the heart of the dispute is Iran's insistence that it has the right to enrich uranium and that economic sanctions should be lifted before it stops activities that could lead to its achieving the capability to make nuclear weapons.

Western powers insist Tehran must first shut down enrichment activities before sanctions can be eased.

But both sides have powerful reasons not to abandon diplomacy. The powers want to avert the danger of a new Middle East war raised by Israeli threats to bomb Iran, while Tehran also wants to avoid a looming Western ban on its oil exports.

After discussions in Baghdad extended late into an unscheduled second day on Thursday between envoys from Iran and the six powers, European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said it was clear both sides wanted progress and had some common ground, but significant differences remained.

"We will maintain intensive contacts with our Iranian counterparts to prepare a further meeting in Moscow," she told a news conference in Baghdad.

The next meeting, the third in the latest round of talks that began in Istanbul last month, will be held in Moscow on June 18-19.

Ashton leads the negotiations for the six-country group made up of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council - Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States - which together with Germany is known as the P5+1.

"Talks were intensive and long," said Iranian chief negotiator Saeed Jalili. "They were detailed, but are left unfinished."

"The atmosphere of these talks was positive for the two sides to talk about their issues in a clear way. We believe the result of these talks was that we were able to get to know each other's views better and more."

While there was little if any concrete progress, the fact that the two sides agreed to continue talks was a sign of progress in itself, after more than a year of not meeting at all before the latest round of negotiations began in April.

"The two sides' commitment to diplomacy in the absence of any clear agreement is a positive sign," said Ali Vaez, Iran expert at the International Crisis Group think-tank.

"All parties should be commended for returning to the negotiating table. Obama should be commended for having turned diplomacy into a process rather than the one-off meetings that existed in the past," wrote Trita Parsi, President of the Washington-based National Iranian American Council.

"Both sides entered negotiations with their maximalist positions, and neither budged," he said. "Looking ahead, now the hard work begins."

The six powers want practical steps from Iran to address their concerns over its nuclear work.

Chief among such concerns is Iran's ability to enrich uranium to a fissile purity of 20 percent. That is the nuclear advance most worrying to the West since it opens the way to reaching 90 percent, or bomb-grade, enrichment.

"Iran declared its readiness to address the issue of 20 percent enrichment and came with its own five point plan, including their assertion that we recognize their right to enrichment," Ashton said.

IRAN INSISTS ON ITS RIGHTS

Iran says it will not exceed 20 percent and the material will be made into fuel for a research reactor.

Iran has hinted at flexibility on higher-grade enrichment but Iranian media said it would not give away its most potent bargaining chip without significant concessions on sanctions.

"We never expected to get that agreement (on 20 percent) here in Baghdad," said a senior U.S. administration official who declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the subject.

But, he said "there is agreement to address all aspects of 20 percent as we put it on the table".

A significant difference between the two sides is Iran's insistence on what Jalili called "an undeniable right of the Iranian nation" to enrich uranium.

"Obviously (that) was not something we were prepared to do," the official said, echoing the U.S. view that Iran does not automatically have this right under international law because, it argues, Iran is in violation of its obligations under counter-proliferation safeguards.

The United States and its allies suspect Tehran is trying to develop a nuclear weapons capability and have imposed tough sanctions on Iran's energy and financial sectors to try to force it to compromise and open up its activities to scrutiny.

EU states are set to introduce a total embargo of Iranian crude oil purchases in July. Diplomats say that potentially persuasive measure will not be cancelled unless Tehran takes substantial steps to curb its nuclear activities.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said there would be no let up in sanctions against Iran, even as talks continue.

"As we lay the groundwork for these talks, we will keep up the pressure as part of our dual-track approach," she told reporters in Washington hours after the talks ended in Baghdad. "All of our sanctions will remain in place and continue to move forward during this period."

The senior U.S. official said the six powers were going to try to advance the talks "as fast as we can". But it was too early to talk about technical level or expert meetings because the political issues still needed to be clarified.

The official said sanctions coming into effect in coming weeks would increase leverage on Iran in the negotiations.

"Maximum pressure is not yet being felt by Iran," the official said, adding there were many other potential sanctions that remained to be employed.

WORRIES ABOUT WAR

The powers want Iran to send its more highly refined uranium abroad and close an underground plant devoted to 20 percent enrichment which is largely invulnerable to air strikes.

In return, the United States, Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany have offered fuel to keep Iran's medical isotope reactor running, assistance in nuclear safety and an end to an embargo on spare parts for Iran's ageing civilian aircraft.

Rising tension over the past year has pushed global oil prices upwards as the West has broadened sanctions to bar Iran's crude exports and the specter of Middle East war has increased with the threat of possible Israeli strikes on Iran's nuclear installations.

Israel is believed to be the only Middle East country with nuclear weapons but regards Iran's nuclear aspirations as a mortal threat given its calls for the demise of the Jewish state.

Iran, the world's No. 5 oil exporter, says it is enriching uranium only in order to generate electricity to serve the needs of a burgeoning population, and for a medical research reactor.

The Islamic Republic has repeatedly ruled out suspending all enrichment as called for by several U.N. Security Council resolutions, saying nuclear energy is a matter of national sovereignty and pride in technological progress.

(Additional reporting by Patrick Markey and William Maclean in Baghdad, Marcus George and Isabel Coles in Dubai, Zahra Hosseinian in Zurich, Fredrik Dahl in Vienna and Paul Eckert in Washington; Writing by Mark Heinrich and Jon Hemming; Editing by Angus MacSwan and Giles Elgood)

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ZBoard electric skateboard sneakers-on (video)

ZBoard

We spotted the dudes behind the ZBoard at TechCrunch Disrupt earlier this week, but we weren't content to just ride the electric skateboard up and down the halls of Pier 94. We asked them to take a walk with us to Washington Square Park so we could take the board for a spin in a more realistic setting -- also, any excuse to skip out of work a bit earlier to go skating in the park on a sunny Friday afternoon is hard to turn down. We initially asked them to meet us at one of New York City's many skate parks, but they balked at the suggestion -- after all, it's more of a commuting board than anything else. It's big and fairly heavy, so attempting to go vert with the thing is pretty much out -- grinding and kickflips are likely off the table, too.

Co-creator Geoff Larson told us he managed to get the thing up on two wheels, but that's about the limit of trickery at the moment -- we're sure that'll change pretty quickly, as soon as more boards make their way into the hands of the public. In the meantime, the ZBoard is all about getting around, giving you about 10 miles on a single charge. Larson added that one skater said he planned to use his ZBoard to make the long trip to the skatepark and back, carrying his manual board along for the ride. Join us after the break for some sneakers-on impressions.

Continue reading ZBoard electric skateboard sneakers-on (video)

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Video: Pope?s butler arrested

Paolo Gabriele, Pope Benedict?s personal butler, is under arrest after Vatican police found hundreds of confidential documents in his house. NBC?s Jim Maceda reports.

>> a new scandal is rocking the vatican tonight. it's making headlines around the world in the process. it involves secret documents , allegations of corruption, a bombshell new book, and today, the arrest of one of pope benedict 's most trusted aides, his own butler. our details from nbc's jim maceda.

>> pope benedict 's personal butler, paolo gabriele, always seetded up front in the popemobile, but today, he was arrested after police found hundreds of confidential documents in his house. he allegedly leaked the documents to the media, including investigative reporter geonluigi nutzi who unveiled a corruption. some small wheels in the vatican machine decided rightly or wrongly to make public important events, like palace plots, he said. they confirmed the butler was arrested and called the book and the leaks criminal and launched its own investigation. among the incriminating documents, letters to the pope from the archbishop revival a small netwalk of construction companies awarded vatican contracts at inflated prices. but the whistle blower was punished and against his wished, packed off to the u.s. where he's now the vatican ambassador in washington. other leak eed documents revealed vatican in fighting over financial transparency. on thursday, tudesky was fired at the vatican bank 's president.

>> he said he was ousted because he was the one who wanted transparency.

>> it's unclear if the pope's butler acted alone or was taking orders, but the alleged leaked by the man close stz to the pope may have lifted another veil on the secretive activity.

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Master The Real Estate Market With These Top Tips : simsadler.net

One major part of commercial real estate deals is inspections. When property you are involved in is being inspected, take steps to verify the legitimacy of every inspector. Pay particular attention to credentials when it comes to pest inspections, since it is not uncommon to encounter people working in pest removal without a license. You want to avoid a future liability that can come after the sale, if the inspection was not correct.

Before you present an offer for commercial property, be sure to have your funding source in place. Communicate with everyone in your network including friends and fellow investors to come up with a brief list of the preferred lenders in your region. Do a little research and select one that will meet your needs, before you even begin the process of purchasing commercial real estate. Taking the extra time to get things lined up can help ensure that you qualify for a loan.

In a commercial loan, the borrower must order the appraisal. The bank won?t permit your use of it at a later date. Do the right thing and order it yourself.

Interview your prospective real estate broker to determine what they view as failures and successes, to see if their standards match yours. Find out their criteria for deciding whether a result is good or not. Look for online ratings or complaints. Employ a broker only if his philosophies and approach are similar to yours.

Both local and non-local advertising of your commercial real estate property will be beneficial to you. A lot of sellers fall into the misconception that only the local buyers are interested parties in potential purchase. In fact, the interest level can expand far beyond the local scene as private investors expand their interest. These investors are searching for affordable property and may be interested in yours.

Be aware that there could be drastic inflation in the time after you invest in commercial real estate. Just a few years ago, most contracts protected you from inflation by locking you in at a certain interest rate. Unfortunately, this practice has become vanishingly rare, which makes you at higher risk to suffer losses due to inflation.

You need plenty of info before you begin your commercial real estate adventure. Ideally, this article will have helped you to expand your knowledge base and improve your understanding of commercial real estate.

Sim Sadler is a real estate expert and has been buying and selling commercial real estate for over 25 years, through every market you can imagine.

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More People Are Taking Their Pets On Vacations | RadioNOW 100.9

Home?>?gossip?>?More People Are Taking Their Pets?On?Vacations

More People Are Taking Their Pets On Vacations

Many Americans are including their pets in their vacation plans.? DeaconOnAir likes to take his pet Monkey with him. He says, ?It?s hard, but I always try to keep my Monkey in my pants.?

Just under half of the respondents in the 2012 Pet Travel Survey say they?ll be traveling with Fido and Fluffy within the next three months, while another 40-percent will be hitting the road with their four-legged friends at some point over the next year. ?But dogs are much more popular traveling companions. ?Eighty five-percent of dog owners say they?ll vacation with their pet, along with just a quarter of cat owners. ?The figures also reflect an increase in the number of dogs accompanying their owners on vacation. ?Just under 60-percent took their dogs with them when they traveled last year. ?Meanwhile, 22-percent vacationed with their cats in 2011. ?Those traveling with pets also prioritize their animals. ?Nine out of ten respondents say they?d alter their plans if different arrangements would be more beneficial to their pet.

News Source: Metro News/Deacon

Tags: animals > four legged friends > More People Are Taking Their Pets On Vacations > nature > pet monkey > Travel > Vacation

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Project Description:

I need 1-2 good article writer for articles / Blog posts on FURNITURE, real estate, and many other topics - for Long term work

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Pressure on EU leaders to solve Greek crisis

French President Francois Hollande arrives for an EU summit at the EU Council in Brussels, Wednesday, May 23, 2012. The leaders of the 27 countries that make up the European Union are to meet in Brussels Wednesday to try and find a way to keep the debt crisis in Europe from spiraling out of control and promote jobs and growth. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

French President Francois Hollande arrives for an EU summit at the EU Council in Brussels, Wednesday, May 23, 2012. The leaders of the 27 countries that make up the European Union are to meet in Brussels Wednesday to try and find a way to keep the debt crisis in Europe from spiraling out of control and promote jobs and growth. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrives for an EU summit at the EU Council in Brussels, Wednesday, May 23, 2012. The leaders of the 27 countries that make up the European Union are to meet in Brussels Wednesday to try and find a way to keep the debt crisis in Europe from spiraling out of control and promote jobs and growth. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

French President Francois Hollande, left, shakes hands with Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy prior to their meeting at the Elysee Palace, Paris, Wednesday, May 23, 2012. (AP Photo/Jacques Brinon)

(AP) ? Europe's leaders gather in Brussels under mounting pressure to soften their tough-love approach to the weaker economies among them. With Greece locked in political chaos, much bigger Spain warns it can't keep afloat without help, as stock markets around the world tank over fears the leaders won't have the political will to act.

The summit will have to fight multiple fires: political uncertainty in Greece that could see it renege on commitments made to secure rescue loans; rising borrowing costs in Spain and Italy that could force them to seek bailouts; and sluggish growth across the region exacerbated by budget cuts meant to reassure markets about high debt levels.

"What we need is a decisive plan for Greece, and we need decisive plans to help get the European economies moving," British Prime Minister David Cameron said as he headed into the summit of leaders of the 27 countries that make up the EU, which includes the 17-member eurozone.

"But if we're not going to keep coming back and back to meetings like this we also need to deal with some of the longer-term issues at the heart of running successful single currency, having a bank that gets behind that single currency, having coherent long-term plans to make sure that single currency is coherent," he said.

Leaders have said that everything will be on the table, including a discussion about whether the countries that use the euro should spread the risk and borrow money jointly ? issuing so-called "eurobonds." This would mean every country could borrow funds at the same rate, substantially lowering the costs for the more indebted countries.

But expectations were low for agreement on concrete measures to boost growth and stability in the eurozone. Europe's main stock indexes plunged more than 2 percent. The euro fell 0.8 percent to $1.2561, its lowest in nearly two years.

On Tuesday, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development became the latest body to warn that the eurozone is at risk of falling into a "severe recession" and suggest that it slow the pace of austerity, or cost-cutting measures, in some countries.

That's exactly what many in Greece are asking for. The country has undertaken massive spending cuts and tax hikes to slash its deficit and rein in its debt ? and in exchange for the bailout loans that help keep it paying the bills. But Greece is now in its fifth year of recession, and many argue the country cannot hope for a recovery if it sticks to the deal.

In a recent election, neither of Greece's two main parties, both of which support the bailout deal, fared well. Instead, minor parties that are threatening to renege on those commitments saw their popularity surge. A new round of elections is set for June 17.

It is now a question of who will blink first. If the Greeks pick an anti-bailout government and renege on the terms of the bailout, the country could be forced into a messy exit of the euro. That could irreparably fracture the common currency and rattle global financial markets.

Some European countries are already hinting that Greece should be given better terms. Both the International Monetary Fund and the OECD, which monitors economic trends in developed economies, also are pushing for the demands on some countries to be eased.

European Union leaders are nonetheless presenting a united front and leaving it up to the Greek people to decide their future in Europe.

"Greece has to make an important choice on June 17, and their choice has to be European," French President Francois Hollande said as he headed into Wednesday's meeting. "France wants that the Greeks stay in the eurozone, and the Greeks must respect their commitments. At the same time, the eurozone must show it supports Greece."

That question will no doubt be central to Wednesday's discussions, although leaders have said no decisions would be made at the meeting ? which is technically only meant to set up a summit in late June.

Slow growth and uncertainty over Greece is making things worse for other struggling eurozone countries, like Spain, whose borrowing rates are high ? and rising ? because of fears that its government finances might be overwhelmed by the costs of rescuing its ailing banking sector.

In a meeting early Wednesday in Paris with Hollande, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy warned that his country couldn't continue much longer with its current high borrowing rates. High borrowing rates are at the heart of Europe's crisis and are what caused Greece, Ireland and Portugal to seek bailouts.

"Europe has to come up with an answer," Rajoy said. "It is a must, because we cannot go on like this for a long time, with large differences when it comes to financing ourselves."

Rajoy suggested the European Central Bank resume some of its emergency measures, such as buying the bonds of weak countries, which has the impact of lowering countries' borrowing rates. The ECB has suspended the purchases because, as an independent body, it does not want to be seen supporting governments directly. Instead, it has given European banks massive amounts of cheap loans to bolster confidence in the financial system and allow banks to buy up their country's debt.

Leaders will also be addressing ways to buoy growth, like unleashing unused EU funds, increasing the financing of the European Investment Bank, which could then give loans to companies, and issuing "project bonds," debt that would be invested in large infrastructure projects.

Hollande said at his meeting with Rajoy that he will formally propose so-called eurobonds ? debt issued jointly by eurozone countries ? at Wednesday's summit.

Such bonds would distribute the risk of debt across the whole eurozone. That would mean every country would borrow at the same rate ? giving financially weak countries a huge discount over their current rates. Eurobonds could eventually replace at least some of a country's nationally issued debt, though countries would likely continue to meet the rest of their funding needs by going individually to the bond markets, as they do now.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is staunchly opposed to such a move because it would reduce the pressure on heavily indebted governments to heal their finances and force Germany to borrow at higher rates.

"I believe that they are not a contribution to foster growth in the eurozone because the very similar interest rates which we had over many years, have basically led to grave wrong developments," she said as she headed into Wednesday's meeting.

___

Raf Casert in Brussels, Thomas Adamson and Sylvie Corbet in Paris, Geir Moulson and Juergen Baetz in Berlin and Daniel Woolls in Madrid contributed to this report.

Associated Press

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