Front-page Iran

It's taking up all the news, and again I must apologise for the lack of updates but that will soon be resolved.

Russia optimistic UNSC will reach deal on Iran

A Russian diplomat said late Thursday that Moscow remains optimistic the five veto-wielding members of the UN Security Council will break a deadlock on confronting Iran's nuclear program, as the nations' foreign ministers took up the issue in new efforts to reach a deal.

The comments by Russia's deputy UN ambassador, Konstantin Dolgov, were important because Russia and China have been key holdouts against a council statement proposed by Britain, France and the United States demanding Iran suspend uranium enrichment.
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Russia and China Stand their Ground

UNITED NATIONS: The five veto-wielding members of the UN Security Council reported little progress Wednesday after new talks meant to craft a unified message urging Iran to come clean about its suspect nuclear programme.

The gap between Britain, France and the United States on the one side, and China and Russia on the other, on the stance to take toward Iran has shown little sign of closing in the nearly two weeks that council members have debated the issue.

Nonetheless, US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice and several diplomats inNew York expressed their belief that the council would come to a deal eventually. "We will come up with a vehicle, I am quite certain of that," Rice said during a trip to the Bahamas.

"Wehave work still to do. This is the natural course of diplomacy. If it takes a little longer, I'm not really concerned about that."
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MTN to launch cellphone network in Iran

South Africa's MTN, the continent's largest cellphone firm, said it would launch a second network in Iran in August, reaching 31 mln subscribers by 2015, AFP reported.

"August is when we are expected to launch. We are hopeful that we will meet that date," MTN group chief executive officer Phuthuma Nhleko told a news conference.

MTN holds 49% of IranCell with a total investment of ?450 mln ($543 mln).

Only 11% of Iran's 69 mln people have cellphones, MTN said, adding that it was hoping to expand that reach to 40% of Iranians, or 31 mln customers, by 2015, AFP noted.

Under an agreement with the Iranian government, the IranCell network should cover half the country's area by November this year.
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