Iran has begun work on a 300-megawatt nuclear power project in the southern Khuzestan province which will be the country’s second nuclear reactor project, after Tehran and Moscow restarted the Bushehr reactor in 2011, a project initially started in the 1970s before the country’s 1979 revolution.
Work on the Karoun Nuclear Power Plant, also known as Darkhoveyn, was inaugurated by Mohammad Eslami, the head of Iran’s civilian Atomic Energy Organisation, who first unveiled construction plans for Karoun in April. The project is projected to take eight years and cost $2 billion to build, the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency reported.
The power station is based on so-called pressurised water reactor technology, that is most commonly used in nuclear power plants around the world, AFP reported.
Nuclear power plants for generating electricity typically use uranium enriched to between 3 and 5 per cent purity. Under a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, Tehran agreed to limit enrichment of uranium to no more than 3.67 per cent purity. In exchange, the US agreed to relax punishing trade sanctions, while Iran would permit UN inspectors to verify compliance with the deal.
After president Donald Trump walked away from the deal in 2018, Iran rapidly accelerated uranium enrichment and now has enough uranium enriched to 60 per cent purity to produce a nuclear weapon, experts say.
Nuclear weapons were thought to require highly enriched uranium, at 90 per cent purity, but experts at the Institute for Science and International Security, a US think tank, have warned that a bomb is still possible at lower levels of purity.
The Bushehr power plant generates around 1,000 megawatts and plans are under way to expand the site with two more generating units, although work at the site has been hampered by international sanctions.
Iran says it plans to produce around 10,000 megawatts of power from nuclear reactors, about 13 per cent of the country’s current power generation.
Iran’s ongoing nuclear research and uranium enrichment comes as the prospects of reviving the 2015 nuclear deal look increasingly unlikely.
The US will concentrate on limiting Iranian weapons supplies to Russia and on supporting protesters in the country, rather than on stalled talks to revive the deal, the Biden administration’s top Iran envoy said on Saturday.
“Iran is not interested in a deal and we’re focused on other things,” US Special Envoy for Iran Robert Malley said in an interview on Saturday.
His comments came as top Russian and Iranian defence officials reportedly met for talks in Tehran.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
A little about CVRL
Founded in 1985 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL) is a government diagnostic centre that provides testing and research facilities to the UAE and neighbouring countries.
One of its main goals is to provide permanent treatment solutions for veterinary related diseases.
The taxidermy centre was established 12 years ago and is headed by Dr Ulrich Wernery.
if you go
The flights Fly Dubai, Air Arabia, Emirates, Etihad, and Royal Jordanian all offer direct, three-and-a-half-hour flights from the UAE to the Jordanian capital Amman. Alternatively, from June Fly Dubai will offer a new direct service from Dubai to Aqaba in the south of the country. See the airlines’ respective sites for varying prices or search on reliable price-comparison site Skyscanner.
The trip
Jamie Lafferty was a guest of the Jordan Tourist Board. For more information on adventure tourism in Jordan see Visit Jordan. A number of new and established tour companies offer the chance to go caving, rock-climbing, canyoning, and mountaineering in Jordan. Prices vary depending on how many activities you want to do and how many days you plan to stay in the country. Among the leaders are Terhaal, who offer a two-day canyoning trip from Dh845 per person. If you really want to push your limits, contact the Stronger Team. For a more trek-focused trip, KE Adventure offers an eight-day trip from Dh5,300 per person.
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
Super 30
Produced: Sajid Nadiadwala and Phantom Productions
Directed: Vikas Bahl
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Pankaj Tripathi, Aditya Srivastav, Mrinal Thakur
Rating: 3.5 /5
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
Tips for taking the metro
- set out well ahead of time
- make sure you have at least Dh15 on you Nol card, as there could be big queues for top-up machines
- enter the right cabin. The train may be too busy to move between carriages once you're on
- don't carry too much luggage and tuck it under a seat to make room for fellow passengers
