Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad wants to defend Iran's position in person when the UN Security Council meets to discuss the controversial Iranian nuclear program, state TV reported yesterday.
"The president wants to be present at the meeting of the Security Council examining the Iranian nuclear question to defend the right of the Iranian people to master nuclear technology," it quoted government spokesman Gholam Hossein Elham as saying.
"The aim of President Ahmadinejad is to defend the national and international interests of the Iranian people," he said.
The report did not specify what session and when Ahmadinejad was seeking to attend.
The five UN Security Council permanent members and Germany are currently discussing a draft resolution to tighten sanctions against Iran for its controversial nuclear fuel work.
In December, the council agreed a first set of measures penalizing Iran for its refusal to suspend sensitive uranium enrichment activities, its first ever sanctions against Iran.
Ahmadinejad has addressed the UN General Assembly in New York twice since becoming president in 2005 although he has never been present at a Security Council meeting. The US on both occasions reluctantly granted him a visa to travel to New York under its obligations as the host country of the UN.
The Iranian president last year offered to hold a televised debate with US President George W. Bush to discuss the international situation although the proposal was laughed off by the White House.
Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu (徐熙媛) has died of pneumonia at the age of 48 while on a trip to Japan, where she contracted influenza during the Lunar New Year holiday, her sister confirmed today through an agent. "Our whole family came to Japan for a trip, and my dearest and most kindhearted sister Barbie Hsu died of influenza-induced pneumonia and unfortunately left us," Hsu's sister and talk show hostess Dee Hsu (徐熙娣) said. "I was grateful to be her sister in this life and that we got to care for and spend time with each other. I will always be grateful to
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