Iran Reporter

Iran's hardliners are set to strengthen their control over the powerful Expediency Council after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader, rejected calls by reformists for a more representative membership when announcing the line-up for the organisation's next five-year term. [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] CHUCK HAGEL, The Senate's newest wise man [an error occurred while processing this directive]

TNR

When Tom Daschle questioned the scope of the war on terrorism last week, Trent Lott sandbagged him. But if Lott really means to badger politicians who dissent from President Bush's "axis of evil" line, he should swing by the office of his fellow Republican senator, Chuck Hagel. [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] Hyundai Wins $1.2B Contract in Iran [an error occurred while processing this directive]

AP

SEOUL, South Korea - Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co. said Monday it has won a $1.2 billion contract to build a natural gas processing plant in Iran. The contract calls for Hyundai to build the plant in a coastal area 740 miles south of Tehran for Agip Iran B.V., a consortium led by Italian oil company Agip SpA, the company said in a statement. [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] Iran: Top bank official says single foreign exchange rate will not raise prices [an error occurred while processing this directive]

IRNA

Tehran, 17 March: Governor of Central Bank of Iran (CBI) Mohsen Nurbakhsh said here Sunday [17 March] that facilities envisioned in the single exchange rate will not cause consumer prices to rise, adding that such concerns are uncalled for. [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] Iran External Debts $20 Billion - Central Bank Governor [an error occurred while processing this directive]

Dow Jones Newswires

TEHRAN -(Dow Jones)- The governor of the Central Bank of Iran , Mohsen Nourbakhsh, said Sunday that the total of Iran 's short- and long-term foreign debts stands at around $20 billion, reported the state-run Tehran radio. [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] Iran to attract Less than 0.05% of foreign investment [an error occurred while processing this directive]

IRNA

London- Over the next five years, Iran is expected to attract only 0.04 per cent of global foreign direct investment (FDI), according to a new report by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). It estimated Iran's annual inflows of FDI would average Dlrs 340 million between 2002 and 2006 ... [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] Iranian president, Tajik foreign minister hail progress in relations [an error occurred while processing this directive]

Asia-Plus news

Dushanbe, 18 March: Tajik Foreign Minister Talbak Nazarov and Iranian President Seyyed Mohammad Khatami have discussed ways of stepping up bilateral relations between Tajikistan and Iran. The meeting took place on Sunday [17 March] as part of Talbak Nazarov's visit to Iran. Asia-Plus was told by the spokesman for the Iranian embassy in Tajikistan, Ali Tusi, that Talbak Nazarov had given Mohammad Khatami a message from Tajik President Emomali Rahmonov and praised Iran's role in stabilizing the situation in Tajikistan, as well as in the region. [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] Iran's Civil Aviation Says Pilot Error Caused Feb Crash [an error occurred while processing this directive]

AP

TEHRAN - Pilot error was to blame for last month's crash of an Iranian airliner in which all 119 people on board were killed, Iran's Civil Aviation Organization said Sunday. Investigators who studied the data of the two black boxes on the Russian-built Tupolev Tu-154 ... [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] India stun Ukraine, to play Iran in final [an error occurred while processing this directive]

PTI

Dubai, Mar 18 (PTI) Cheered by a large expatriate crowd, India produced their best performance in the tournament so far outplaying defending champions Ukraine in four games to move in to the final of the seventh Rashid International Volleyball tournament here. Ukraine paid heavily for their over confidence as India came from behind to register a 23-25 25-23 25-20 25-21 win. India's victory, last night, set up a final showdown with Iran which overcame last year's runners up Tunisia in the other semi-final also in four games. [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] Afghan defense ministry says Pakistan harbors al-Qaida and Taliban; plans border patrols [an error occurred while processing this directive]

Associated Press

Afghanistan's defense ministry accused Pakistan on Sunday of harboring wanted Taliban leaders and al-Qaida fighters in its border regions where government control is weak and tribal traditions hold sway. [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] Al Qaeda plotted new US attacks [an error occurred while processing this directive]

The Christian Science Monitor

SHAH-I-KOT, AFGHANISTAN – Key Al Qaeda officials, possibly including Ayman al-Zawahiri, the No. 2 to Osama bin Laden, were present in the fortified Shah-i-Kot caves of this region just before the recent US attacks. Local villagers, who spoke on the condition that their village not be identified, provided details on how they were recruited to blast a new network of caves for these fighters – who were formulating plans for additional terrorist attacks on the US – and to provide an escape route for later use. [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] CIA survey of Iraq airfields heralds attack [an error occurred while processing this directive]

Independent

In the first concrete sign that the US is planning military action against Iraq despite objections from its allies, CIA officers have surveyed three key airfields in northern Iraq. The airfields, situated in northern Iraq near the cities of Arbil, Dohuk and Sulaimaniyah in Kurdistan – the only part of Iraq not held by Saddam Hussein – could be used to receive arms and troops in the event of a conflict between the US and Iraq, an Iraqi source has told The Independent. [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] Chinese delegation in Iran reaches agreement on strengthening ties [an error occurred while processing this directive]

BBC Monitoring Service

Beijing, 17 March: The 11th Session of the Sino-Iranian Joint Committee of Economic, Trade, Scientific and Technological Cooperation was held in Tehran on 17 March. Both sides highly appraised the friendly cooperative relations between the two countries and have agreed to continue to strengthen coordination and cooperation, promote Sino-Iranian economic and trade cooperation, and push forward the bilateral relationship towards a new developmental stage. [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] The war on terror goes on [an error occurred while processing this directive]

The Telegraph

TERRORISM is always ugly, but there is something especially horrible about murder in a church. Even people with no sense of religion are likely to be uniquely appalled by the thought of families at prayer being attacked with hand grenades. At a time when the West is being asked to mobilise against terrorism, the assault on the Protestant International Church in Islamabad, in which five people were killed and 46 others were injured - including Western diplomats and their families - is a brutal reminder of precisely what it is we are fighting. [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] Saddam must be ousted now, says Duncan Smith [an error occurred while processing this directive]

The Telegraph

SADDAM HUSSEIN should be toppled in Iraq before he can finish developing missiles and nuclear weapons capable of threatening European cities, Iain Duncan Smith, the Conservative Party leader, says today. Iain Duncan Smith: accused Europe of 'gazing at its political navel'. His call comes as Tony Blair faces a Cabinet split and possible isolation in Europe over British support for American military action against Iraq. Clare Short, the International Development Secretary, said yesterday that a military response would be "very unwise" and would not solve the problem. [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive]