Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Tuesday that Iran planned to launch a “more sophisticated” satellite into orbit, another potential step forward for the country’s space program that have raised concerns in the West. Iran’s official news agency quoted Ahmadinejad as saying the launch would take place despite concerns over the earlier launch of Iran’s first domestically made satellite in February. Ahmadinejad said a rocket with a range of some 450 to 950 miles (700 to 1500 kilometers) would carry the satellite to a higher altitude in space than its predecessor.
U.S. journalist stands trial
Iran said Tuesday its national security court put an American journalist on trial behind closed doors on allegations she spied for the U.S. — a charge Washington calls baseless. The unusually swift one-day trial threatened to anger the U.S. at a time when the Obama administration is showing willingness to engage its longtime adversary after many years of rocky relations. Roxana Saberi, a 31-year-old dual American-Iranian citizen, was arrested in late January and initially accused of working without press credentials. But an Iranian judge leveled a far more serious allegation against her last week, charging her with spying for the United States.
Mexico: Drug arsenal seized
Mexican authorities arrested a woman guarding an arsenal that included the first anti-aircraft machine gun seized in Mexico, police said Tuesday, as the army announced the capture of an alleged top drug cartel lieutenant. The arsenal belonged to a group linked to the powerful Beltran-Leyva drug cartel, federal police coordinator Gen. Rodolfo Cruz said. It also included ammunition, five rifles, a grenade and part of a grenade launcher.
From Herald news services
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