Russia warns West opposite crippling Iran sanctions

Guy Faulconbridge MOSCOW Wed Feb 24, 2010 11:03am EST Related News No reason to stall Iran missiles deal, Moscow saysSun, Feb 14 2010

MOSCOW (Reuters) - A senior Russian diplomat warned the West on Wednesday against trying to paralyze Iran by targeting the Islamic Republic"s energy and banking sectors with crippling sanctions.

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Russia has in recent weeks signaled growing frustration with Iran over its nuclear program, though Moscow has given few indications about what sanctions it might be prepared to sign up to in the United Nations Security Council.

The United States has said it hopes to see sanctions against Iran in a matter of weeks and Israel has pressed Russia to back crippling sanctions, though the Kremlin has steered clear of openly supporting calls for further U.N. sanctions.

Oleg Rozhkov, the deputy director of the Russian Foreign Ministry"s security affairs and disarmament department, said Moscow would only consider sanctions aimed at strengthening the nuclear non-proliferation regime.

"Call them what you want -- crippling or paralyzing -- we are not got going to work on sanctions or measures which could lead to the political or economic or financial isolation of this country," Rozhkov told reporters in Moscow.

When asked by a reporter what sanctions Russia might be able to support, he said: "Those that are directed at resolving non-proliferation questions linked to Iran"s nuclear program."

"What relation to non-proliferation is there in forbidding banking activities with Iran? This is a financial blockade. And oil and gas. These sanctions are aimed only at paralyzing the country and paralyzing the regime," he said.

Iran holds 16 percent of the world"s proven gas reserves and 11 percent of the world"s oil reserves, but desperately needs investment to develop them.

The United States, major European Union nations and Israel suspect Tehran is using its civilian nuclear program as cover for the development of a nuclear weapon.

SANCTIONS?

Tehran denies it is seeking to make an atomic weapon. But the U.N. nuclear watchdog added to the pressure on Iran last week, saying it feared Iran was actively pursuing nuclear weapons capability.

Russian officials this month for the first time raised serious doubts about the true nature of Iran"s nuclear activities, though diplomats say the call on sanctions lies with Russia"s paramount leader, Vladimir Putin.

Putin, who serves as prime minister after stepping down as Kremlin chief, rarely comments on Iran, although he last year warned the West against pushing Tehran into a corner.

"We do not consider the sanctions path the right one -- it pushes the situation further and further into a dead end, a dead end which can only be resolved by force and we do not support that at all," Rozhkov said of Iran sanctions.

Russia has trade ties worth $3 billion annually with Iran and weapons contracts that Israel has urged Moscow to renege on, including a deal to sell Tehran S-300 air defense systems.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday Russia would not deliver the truck-mounted S-300 missile systems -- which could protect Iran"s nuclear facilities against air strikes -- if such a sale would destabilize any region.

(Additional reporting by Conor Sweeney and Dmitry Solovyov; Editing by Dmitry Solovyov)

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Transsexual thespian wins tip song propagandize place after switching his voice from baritone to a soprano

When transsexual opera singer Emily De Salvo first applied to one of Italys most prestigious music schools, he was rejected as the board was unsure whether to place him among the male or female singers.

This week, after three years studying with baritone Maurizio Picconi and soprano Amelia Felle, the 29-year-old has won a place at Baris Tito Schipa Conservatory after changing his voice.

De Salvo, formerly Stefano, who has yet to make his gender change complete with surgery, convinced the jury he can handle both sides of the opera spectrum - from male baritones to female sopranos.

Gender change: Stefano De Salvo has not yet had the full sex-change operation but has changed his name to Emily

The singer believes he has an unusual voice which could help him to claim a niche in opera buffa.

;I"ve been exploring the Baroque repertoire with Felle, exercising my strengthened falsetto, he said.

;With Picconi, on the other hand, I"ve been broadening my baritone chords.

;My vocal range is perfect for opera buffa like Donizetti or Rossini, he added, stressing how proud he was to be the first transsexual to claim a conservatory spot.

De Salvo, whose legal name is still Stefano, also thanked Felle for taking his side at his second audition before the entrance panel.

More...The devoted fiancee who"s sticking by her man, the father of her son, despite the fact he wants to become a woman

;She defended me against those who didn"t want me, he said.

And he thanked a well-known local transgender musician who accompanied him on the piano during his successful recital of the Handel aria "Ombra mai fu" in September.

;I couldn"t have done it without my close friend Luana Ricci, who as Marco Della Gatta claimed headlines when he was sacked as Bari Cathedral organist last year.

;She was exceptional, he added.

Mass grave in Dorset contains stays of executed Viking warriors

Simon de Bruxelles & , : {}

The captives, all well built immature men in their late teenagers and early 20s, were herded to the place of execution. Fifty-four in total, their heads were hacked off and built orderly in a pile. The bodies were tossed in to a array where they remained a mixed of limbs and headless torsos until archaeologists following the lane of a new highway stumbled opposite the stays last year.

Not the murdering fields of Iraq or the Balkans but the Ridgeway, nearby Weymouth, an really old lane opposite the right away tranquil Dorset countryside, where one thousand years ago a prolonged lost electrocute took place.

The victims, a poser when the find of the mass grave was initial suggested in The Times, have been identified. They were Viking raiders who had come to Britain in poke of slaves and plunder.

The discovery, during building a whole of a service highway for sailing events in the 2012 Olympics, led to a host of theories. At initial it was thought they were Iron Age warriors killed by the invading Roman Legions during fighting for Maiden Castle, Britains largest mountain fort. That speculation was ruled out when air wave CO tests antiquated the skeleton to in in between AD910 and AD1030, a thousand years later.

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Now tests on isotopes in the finish of their teeth has found the men came from serve afield. They had sailed opposite the North Sea from what is right away Scandinavia. At slightest one of the Norse men had lived most of his hold up inside the Arctic Circle.

Study of the skeleton has suggested the savagery of their deaths. Their heads were not clean split from their shoulders with the pitch of an executioners axe, but hacked off with swords as the exposed warriors attempted to urge themselves with their unclothed hands.

Ceri Boston, an consultant in really old skeleton who carefully thought about the remains, said: It was not a true one cut and head off. They were all hacked at around the head and jaw. It doesnt see similar to they were really peaceful or the executioners really skilled.

We think the decapitation was disorderly since the chairman was relocating around. One man had his hands sliced through. It looks similar to he was perplexing to grab hold of the long knife as he was being executed.

Archaeologist hold the men were from a prisoner raiding celebration and were taken to the site by Anglo-Saxons fortifying their land for the specific role of putting them to death. Ms Boston added: The place is a standard place for a Saxon execution site, on a main highway and a bishopric range and close to antiquated burrows.

Teeth from ten people were carefully thought about by Dr Jane Evans and Carolyn Chenery at NERC Isotope Geosciences Laboratory in Nottingham. Dr Evans said: Isotopes from celebration H2O and food are bound in the finish and dentine of teeth as the teeth are shaped in early life. The isotope interpretation we performed from the funeral array teeth strongly prove that the men executed on the Ridgeway originated from a accumulation of places inside of the Scandinavian countries.

These formula are fantastic, this is the most appropriate e.g. we have ever seen of a organisation of people that obviously have their origins outward Britain.

The scientists goal to expose some-more sum of the lifestyles, activities, ubiquitous health and diets of the warriors as the research continues.

Vikings raiding parties struck all around Britain and Europe in in between the eighth and eleventh centuries. They colonised piece of northern France right away well known as Normandy.

David Score, from Oxford Archaeology, that excavated the grave, said: Any mass grave is a comparatively singular find, but to find one on this scale, from this duration of history, is intensely surprising and presents an implausible event to sense some-more about what was function in Dorset at this time.

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Johnston Press warns of uninformed jobs cull

Alexi Mostrous, Media Editor & , : {}

Johnston Press warned currently that serve pursuit waste at the informal journal organisation were unavoidable as the pre-tax increase fell 56 per cent last year to 43 million.

Like-for-like promotion income at the publishing house of The Scotsman and Yorkshire Evening Post fell by 26.5 per cent in the 53 weeks to 2 January. Total organisation income fell by roughly twenty per cent to 428 million.

The association pronounced it had seen a stabilisation in ad income given the second half of last year, however.

Ad revenues in the initial 9 weeks of 2010 were down by 7 per cent. Johnston Press expects them to be prosaic in the initial half of the year.

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Advertising fell off a precipice dual years ago, reached the bottom of the precipice and is right away going along the hollow floor, John Fry, the arch executive, told The Times. Property and arrangement promotion were both certain in 2010, nonetheless recruitment and motoring go on to fall.

Mr Fry pronounced that 2009 finished with the organisation in a clever position. "Advertising is some-more stable, dissemination trends have improved, digital revenues are growing, the cost bottom has marked down significantly and we have renegotiated financial comforts for 3 years." He pronounced the association had no evident plans to lift capital.

The publishing house pronounced it had sealed five writings last year, and that 768 staff had left the group. Mr Fry pronounced he would go on to make use of computer record to streamline the paper routine opposite all the groups newspapers.

Well obviously need fewer sub-editors in the future, Mr Fry said. In a little areas weve managed that by not recruiting [new employees], however a little redundancies are unavoidable in that process.

The organisation saw net debt dump by 55.3 million to 422.1 million as it took out 49 million in costs. No division is due for the year.

The organisation has not nonetheless motionless either to assign online readers for content, notwithstanding carrying trialled a subscription complement at 6 online newspapers last year.

The [credit label based] remuneration resource is not ideal, Mr Fry said. Its not as easy as on an iPhone. But we see this as an evolution. Were in the guidance experimenting phase."

Shares in the publishing house rose somewhat currently by 0.5p, or 1.7 per cent, to 28.75p.

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Hopes of English republic rest on the extended shoulders of Wayne Rooney Football

Oliver Kay, Football Correspondent & , : {}

One hundred days to go. One hundred days for Fabio Capello to arise up in fright of the liaison that will mishandle Englands World Cup campaign.

One hundred days for Wayne Rooney to run around a representation or a precision belligerent at risk of pang the damage that would be similarly damaging.

Rooney will be at the back of in the saddle this morning, carrying sat out Mondays England precision session. A indicate suggested his knee damage to be zero some-more critical than bruising, but even the passing awaiting of him blank the accessible compare opposite Egypt at Wembley on Wednesday was sufficient to means palpitations between a open and positively a media between whom the Manchester United brazen has turn the usually remedy to the sleaze that has in jeopardy to shroud preparations for the World Cup finals in South Africa this summer.

After all the speak of John Terrys misdemeanours, of Ashley Coles high-profile matrimony disintegrating, of Wayne Bridge branch his at the back of on the squad, of key players stubborn by concerns over form and fitness, England could positively do with a feelgood story.

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In Rooney, they have one: the heartwarming story of a immature man, who, carrying incited his at the back of on temptations and distractions afar from the representation and lifted his diversion on it, is opening up in to the world-class centre brazen that he and an trusting republic regularly hoped he would become.

At the prior England gettogether, prior to the accessible opposite Brazil in Doha last November, Rooney had talked of the heights that he still had to scale to stick on Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Kaká in the pantheon of � la mode greats.

Over the past dual months he seems to have towering himself to something really close to that level, apropos a player who, identical to each of that stellar trio, will transport to South Africa in Jun with the weight of shortcoming on his shoulders.

Im ready for it, Rooney pronounced on Tuesday of the expectations on him. It cant be as bad as it was prior to 2006. That was a bit weird, with the group scheming for the contest and majority days the concentration was on either I would be fit. But, yes, Im ready for the World Cup. Im in the majority appropriate form of my life. Im ready.

At a entertainment of majority of the World Cup coaches in South Africa last week, Joachim Löw, the Germany coach, described Rooney as unstoppable, a notice no disbelief extended on Sunday when the brazen scored the idea opposite Aston Villa that won the Carling Cup for United. I do feel unstoppable, Rooney said. I feel that each diversion I fool around in, Im going to score.

The conspicuous aspect about Rooneys new flurry has been the series of goals that he has scored with his head. He has regularly regarded this as his greatest weakness, but 7 of his past eight goals have been headers, that he puts down to an increasing high regard of the goalscorers art and, significantly, the purpose played for United by Antonio Valencia, the Ecuador winger, who assimilated the champions from Wigan Athletic last summer.

The physical education instructor [Sir Alex Ferguson] pronounced to me in pre-season that I indispensable to measure some-more with my head, Rooney said. Since then, Ive worked even harder at it. Thankfully, it is entrance off for me now. Over the last integrate of months, Antonio has been a shining player and a great outlet. When the smoothness in to the box is good, you can work on your transformation and your timing.

I think in the past I was dropping low and probably perplexing to fool around players in more, rather than removing in to the box. With Ronaldo and [Carlos] Tvez withdrawal United, the something Ive had to do more. Now the simpler to score.

Rooneys success as a front-line striker with United, mostly personification as the sole centre forward, has lifted suggestions that he could do a identical purpose with England underneath Fabio Capello, who has elite to muster him in a deeper role, with Emile Heskey handling as a aim man.

That multiple worked to great outcome during the subordinate campaign, but, with Heskey struggling to have a postulated stroke at Villa, it is probable that Capello will be forced in to a rethink for South Africa.

Im certain it would work, but thats the managers preference if he wants to fool around identical to that, Rooney said. If he wants to fool around the arrangement he has been playing, no problem. For England, Ive played only at the back of Emile and scored a integrate of goals. Ive played a lot over up for United, saving my appetite for when the round comes nearby the box, and thats operative as well. Im happy, whatever.

Rooney is happy, period. These days he cuts a untroubled figure who knows, after scarcely 4 months as a father, that his hold up is removing improved each day.

Im enjoying my hold up with my family, he said. I outlay a lot of time at home with them, removing my rest, and that has patently benefited me. The initial integrate of months, the a large shift in your life, but Im removing a great nap now.

Capello has probably endured excited nights in new weeks, wondering what some-more unworthy sum about the in isolation lives of his players are left to uncover. But where there is Rooney, there is hope.

Just as prolonged as he can get by these subsequent 100 days but any slip-ups.

Iceland walks out of 2.3bn debt amends talks

Susan Thompson & , : {}

Talks with Iceland over the amends of �2.3 billion in debts to the UK collapsed last night after member of the uneasy North Atlantic island walked out of negoiations in London.

The relapse in discourse equates to that Iceland will hold a referendum subsequent week on the strange amends understanding of money due to Britain and the Netherlands as a outcome of the 2008 fall of Landsbanki, the bank at the behind of the Icesave internet assets account.

Polls indicate that it will outcome in a resounding "no" vote. The UK is looking �2.3 billion and the Netherlands €1.33 billion (�1.16 billion) behind from Reykjavik.

Negotiators pronounced that Iceland had been offering a two-year seductiveness legal holiday value about �400 million.

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Also on the list was a new floating seductiveness rate on the debt, formed on Libor and 2.75 per cent, that would have represented a poignant cut on the 5.5 per cent being charged at present.

The awaiting of a "no" opinion on Mar 6 threatens the upsurge of assist to Icelands shop-worn economy and raises fears that the nation could default on the obligations.

Fitch and Standard Poors have both warned that disaster to reach an Icesave understanding could lead to a downgrade.

QA: The bullying row Labours reply and Whitehall guidelines

Sam Coates and Jill Sherman & , : {}

What will the bullying row do to Gordon Browns reputation?

Most of the open already thought the Prime Minsters celebrity was unattractive, so the bullying row is doubtful to shift voter perspective much. In a Populus check for The Times last September, 56 per cent found him unlikeable, together with roughly dual thirds of men. Indeed, the idea that he is an assertive personality could be incited to his advantage: 43 per cent of electorate polled in Jan noticed him as strong; 41 per cent as decisive; 48 per cent as substantial; and 40 per cent as up to the job. David Cameron is forward on these measures, but the opening has narrowed in new months

How effectively has Labour responded to bullying allegations?

Downing Streets reply was primarily slow. It took Sir Gus ODonnell 36 hours to repudiate by the Prime Ministers orator chastising Mr Brown for his control with staff. Labour total additionally strike the airwaves yesterday to subject the credit of Christine Pratt, the arch senior manager of the National Bullying Helpline. She still has not cold the explain that the helpline perceived 3 or 4 contacts with people in the Prime Ministers bureau

Related LinksCharitys Brown bullying claims in doubtWe all watched Mandy brag on bullying Downing Street staff urged to air problems

Was there any Tory impasse in her preference to go public?

No. Despite meaningful the Tory claimant in Swindon, the Conservative Party insists that it did not know in allege that Christine Pratt was going to take to the airwaves.

What are the Whitehall discipline on bullies?

There are no bullying discipline on the control of ministers. Civil servants would be approaching to discuss it their evident superiors if they had concerns but youth staff would be doubtful to go to a permanent cabinet member if they had been bullied by a minister. Some Whitehall departments have trusted await networks of lerned volunteers to whom employees can speak. But where enough movement is not taken inside of an organization to residence the situation afterwards an worker can renounce and explain helpful exclusion on the belligerent of crack of contract, contend Cabinet Office discipline