The UN atomic agency's chief delivered a mixed verdict on Iran's commitment to prove it does not want to make nuclear weapons, amid US-European differences on whether Tehran is living up to its pledge to fully open its nuclear dossier to world perusal.
The International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) director-general, Mohamed ElBaradei, on Monday described both Iran and Libya -- which has acknowledged having a weapons program and has pledged to scrap it -- as being in violation of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.
While praising Tehran for some cooperation, he said he was "seriously concerned" about Iran's refusal to declare plans and parts for an advanced uranium enrichment system, calling it a ``setback to Iran's stated policy of transparency.''
Only Iran remains in the spotlight, with Libya apparently keeping pledges to dismantle its weapons program.
Washington, which is convinced that Tehran once wanted to make nuclear weapons and continues to harbor secrets, seeks tough language to dominate any resolution that might be adopted by the IAEA's 35-nation board of governors.
But Germany, Britain and France seek to stress Iran's progress in unveiling nuclear activities and cooperating with IAEA inspectors since the discovery last year of a secret uranium enrichment program and covert tests that could be applied toward making weapons.
VAGUE: The criteria of the amnesty remain unclear, but it would cover political violence from 1999 to today, and those convicted of murder or drug trafficking would not qualify Venezuelan Acting President Delcy Rodriguez on Friday announced an amnesty bill that could lead to the release of hundreds of prisoners, including opposition leaders, journalists and human rights activists detained for political reasons. The measure had long been sought by the US-backed opposition. It is the latest concession Rodriguez has made since taking the reins of the country on Jan. 3 after the brazen seizure of then-Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro. Rodriguez told a gathering of justices, magistrates, ministers, military brass and other government leaders that the ruling party-controlled Venezuelan National Assembly would take up the bill with urgency. Rodriguez also announced the shutdown
Civil society leaders and members of a left-wing coalition yesterday filed impeachment complaints against Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte, restarting a process sidelined by the Supreme Court last year. Both cases accuse Duterte of misusing public funds during her term as education secretary, while one revives allegations that she threatened to assassinate former ally Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The filings come on the same day that a committee in the House of Representatives was to begin hearings into impeachment complaints against Marcos, accused of corruption tied to a spiraling scandal over bogus flood control projects. Under the constitution, an impeachment by the
China executed 11 people linked to Myanmar criminal gangs, including “key members” of telecom scam operations, state media reported yesterday, as Beijing toughens its response to the sprawling, transnational industry. Fraud compounds where scammers lure Internet users into fake romantic relationships and cryptocurrency investments have flourished across Southeast Asia, including in Myanmar. Initially largely targeting Chinese speakers, the criminal groups behind the compounds have expanded operations into multiple languages to steal from victims around the world. Those conducting the scams are sometimes willing con artists, and other times trafficked foreign nationals forced to work. In the past few years, Beijing has stepped up cooperation
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