Iran to restart nuclear program

Cairo, Egypt Iranian officials said Wednesday that Iran will soon resume its nuclear work, and announced that scientists have developed solid fuel technology to improve the accuracy of missiles already able to reach Israel and nearby U.S. bases.

The tough talk comes just days before Iran’s new president is to be sworn in. Tehran mayor Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, victor in this summer’s election, has criticized Iran’s nuclear negotiators for caving in to pressure from the West.

Iran froze its nuclear activities in November to build trust in talks with Europe. But the suspension was always described in Tehran as a temporary concession, and Iranian officials argue vehemently that the country has the right to develop nuclear technology. Iran insists it wants the technology to build power plants, but the United States suspects it is working to develop weapons.

Meanwhile, Defense Minister Ali Shamkhani said Iran has taken an “important step forward” with a successful test of a solid-fuel engine for its Shahab-3 missile.

The Shahab-3 is capable of carrying a warhead into Israel. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have had the missiles since 2002.

U.S. to use wireless tracking at borders

Toronto

A security official said Wednesday ithe United States will use wireless technology at five border posts with Canada and Mexico to track foreigners driving in and out of the United States.

Bob Mocny of the Department of Homeland Security said wireless chips for vehicles would become mandatory at designated border crossings in Canada and Mexico as of Aug. 4.

Border authorities will provide a chip that drivers will put on the dashboards of vehicles.

The program will apply to all foreigners with U.S. visas.

The American Civil Liberties Union has expressed concern that the program violates privacy rights for “third country nationals.” Some immigrant groups also have argued that the technology would target Muslims.

Japan pushes for seat on Security Council

United Nations Japan will face strong public pressure to cut its financing for the United Nations if it doesn’t win a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council, the country’s foreign minister said Wednesday.

Japan is the second-largest contributor to the United Nations behind the United States, paying 19 percent of the $1.2 billion regular budget plus hundreds of millions of dollars more for U.N. peacekeeping, tribunals and other agencies. Its contribution is larger than the combined payments by the other four permanent members – Britain, France, Russia and China.

Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura said Japan believes that its two-year campaign for a permanent seat on the United Nations’ most powerful body will be successful. But Machimura said a “strong comment” about financial support for the United Nations was raised at a town hall meeting in Japan about a week ago on U.N. reform.

Dutch say killer in terror group

Rotterdam, Netherlands

Dutch prosecutors said Wednesday they will charge the man jailed for life for murdering filmmaker Theo van Gogh as a member of an Islamic terror network believed to have plotted attacks against politicians.

The plans to charge Mohammed Bouyeri as a member of the Hofstad Network were revealed at a custody hearing for 11 other alleged members.

Bouyeri, 27, was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment on Tuesday for Van Gogh’s murder, which judges ruled was an act of terrorism since it was motivated by a radical Islamic cause.