Hot Bird 8 may be Europe'slargest and most powerful television satellite, but it still has little chance when the Iranian regime decides to block its signals. When that happens, the Farsi services of the BBC and Voice of America instantly disappear from television screens-- and not just in Iran, but also throughout the satellite's entire coverage area.

Tehran has targeted the satellite in an effort to prevent critical foreign media coverage from reaching domestic viewers.
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Fresh sanctions against Iran moved closer yesterday, when China agreed to begin drafting a UN resolution imposing measures aimed at persuading Tehran to curb its nuclear programme.
Last night, Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, said the five permanent security council members plus Germany "continues to be unified" in talks on sanctions. "There will be a great deal of further consultation not only among the [six], but other members of the security council and other [UN] member nations during the next weeks," she said.
According to officials with knowledge of the talks, an agreement to begin drafting a security council resolution was reached in a telephone call involving representatives of the US, China, Russia, Britain, France and Germany.
The negotiations will now move to New York, where diplomats will hammer out a sanctions package. Barack Obama said on Tuesday he hoped the UN would pass a sanctions resolution within "weeks".
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