Iran's hardline president on Tuesday rejected a UN Security Council deadline for it to suspend uranium enrichment, saying that Tehran would not be pressured into stopping its nuclear program.
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told a crowd in northeastern Iran that his country would not give in to the UN's threats.
"If some think they can still speak with threatening language to the Iranian nation, they must know that they are badly mistaken," he said in a speech broadcast live on state-run television.
"My words are the words of the Iranian nation. Throughout Iran, there is one slogan: `The Iranian nation considers the peaceful use of nuclear fuel production technology its right,'" Ahmadinejad said.
The Security Council passed a resolution on Monday calling for Iran to suspend uranium enrichment by Aug. 31 or face the threat of economic and diplomatic sanctions.
Iran's Foreign Ministry called the resolution "destructive" and "without legal foundation."
Meanwhile, Ahmadinejad also said that the US and Britain are responsible for Israel's killing of civilians in Lebanon and should not be trusted with seats on the Security Council.
Iran regularly blames Britain, as a creator of Israel, and the US, as the state that bankrolls and protects it, for deaths in conflicts in the Middle East.
"They are not competent to be members of the Security Council or to have the power of veto ... They are criminals and should be put on trial," Ahmadinejad said.
The combined effect of the monsoon, the outer rim of Typhoon Fengshen and a low-pressure system is expected to bring significant rainfall this week to various parts of the nation, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The heaviest rain is expected to occur today and tomorrow, with torrential rain expected in Keelung’s north coast, Yilan and the mountainous regions of Taipei and New Taipei City, the CWA said. Rivers could rise rapidly, and residents should stay away from riverbanks and avoid going to the mountains or engaging in water activities, it said. Scattered showers are expected today in central and
People can preregister to receive their NT$10,000 (US$325) cash distributed from the central government on Nov. 5 after President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday signed the Special Budget for Strengthening Economic, Social and National Security Resilience, the Executive Yuan told a news conference last night. The special budget, passed by the Legislative Yuan on Friday last week with a cash handout budget of NT$236 billion, was officially submitted to the Executive Yuan and the Presidential Office yesterday afternoon. People can register through the official Web site at https://10000.gov.tw to have the funds deposited into their bank accounts, withdraw the funds at automated teller
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