| Iran invites new reactor bids
Iran has said it will seek bids for two new nuclear power plants and will partly run them on home-produced fuel, despite Western criticism of its nuclear programme. Ahmad Fayazbakhsh, of Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation, said they would be built at Bushehr, the southwestern city where a Russian contractor is building Iran's first atomic plant. Fayazbakhsh said the power plants would each have capacity for 1,000 to 1,600 megawatts. The West says Iran's civilian nuclear programme is a smokescreen for atomic weapon ambitions, a charge Tehran denies. "There are already contacts with Russian and European firms. It is expected that construction would take between nine and 11 years," Fayazbakhsh said. The cost of the new power plants, which will be built alongside the existing facility in Bushehr, will be between $1.4 and $1.7bn, he said. "Because we have the capability to produce nuclear fuel inside the country, in the long term, part of the fuel for the reactors will be provided by Iran and the rest will be imported," he told a news conference. A Western diplomat said the tender announcement appeared to be aimed at justifying Iran's statement on Monday it had expanded its nuclear fuel programme in defiance of a UN demand to halt uranium enrichment, a process which can be used to make bombs.
Brown accused of gold bungle
BRITISH finance minister Gordon Brown faces claims he ignored Bank of England advice and sold half the country's gold stocks at the bottom of the market. Senior central bank figures expressed misgivings about the decision to auction 400 tonnes of bullion between 1999 and 2002, according to the Sunday Times. Officials reportedly warned the Treasury in correspondence that there was a risk of losing money because the price of gold was at a low level. However, there was no formal consultation and Brown went ahead with the move. Since the auctions the value of gold has trebled, allegedly leaving the public purse STG2 billion ($A4.8 billion) worse off. The Treasury issued a robust denial of the claims, insisting the decision had been scrutinised carefully and the taxpayer received value for money.
Brass Band Aid Auction
Fancy playing on a CD recording with some of the greatest players in the brass band world? Then get onto to Ebay and out in your bid to play with the BBA Celebrity Band. The latest Brass Band Aid CD is soon to be recorded, and someone out there will get the unique opportunity to take part in the recording and play in the Brass Band Aid Celebrity Band. Along with the leading lights of the brass band world, internationally renowned vocalists, The King's Singers and Nicky Spence (tenor) will be featuring, and an auction is up and running on Ebay to decide who the lucky winner will be. The Winner The winner will: . Get the chance to play on one track of the CD, next to a player of your choice in the BBA Celebrity Band. . Have your name feature in the players credit list in the CD Booklet.
Carnival Ride Auction
It was a bitter-sweet party atmosphere in Lansing, Illinois, this week as Norton Auctioneers of Michigan auctioned off the rides, games and equipment from Wright's Barnyard. The amusement and fun park had been operated by the same family since it began in 1956.A favorite playtime destination for suburban Chicago families and children for over half a century, Wright's was also the host to countless area teens on their first date as well as numerous weddings.Attractions at Wright's included a kiddie carousel, a frog hopper, two miniature golf courses, a go-cart track, batting cages, an arcade, a restaurant and the home of Burt and Millie Wright on the five-acre site. .
Bidding farewell to `consumer disputes'
HYDERABAD: A Judge of the International Tribunal for the Law of Sea, Hamburg-based Justice P.C. Rao here on Monday said despite effective laws, the consumer movement in India was yet to find its roots. Speaking at a farewell function in honour of Justice I. Venkatanarayana, president, Andhra Pradesh State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, he said a lot needed to be done. The Consumer Protection Act and the law dealing with human rights, of which he himself was the draftsman, should be implemented properly, he said. Efficient methods Mr. Justice Venkatanarayana is particularly known for his pace of work, his being pro-active stance towards development and his participatory approach in handling `juniors'. Speakers including M. Shreesha, incharge president of the commission, president of the commission's Bar Association V.S.
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