Lebanese PM talks to CNN about his country's future and restoring sovereignty
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam talks to Becky Anderson about Lebanon's lost opportunities, and how the government's priority is restoring sovereignty over all its territory, while implementing reforms and rebuilding the economy.
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- Yahoo
Iran boosts highly enriched uranium production: IAEA
Iran has ramped up production of highly enriched uranium, according to a confidential UN watchdog report, as Tehran said Saturday that it had received US proposals to settle its long-running nuclear dispute with the West. Iran rejected the report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the latest move in years-long efforts to restrict its nuclear activities over fears that it is seeking to develop nuclear weapons. The IAEA report, seen by AFP, said Iran had sharply increased its stockpile of uranium enriched to up to 60 percent, close to the roughly 90 percent level needed for atomic weapons. Iran rejected the report, which came amid high tensions in the Middle East over Israel's military offensive in Gaza, with Tehran's foreign ministry calling it a "political" manoeuvre. The ministry accused Israel of providing "unreliable and misleading information" to the IAEA for the report, "contrary to the IAEA's principles of professional verification". Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said earlier Saturday that he had received "elements" of a US proposal for a potential nuclear deal following five rounds of talks mediated by Oman. Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi "paid a short visit to Tehran today to present elements of a US proposal which will be appropriately responded to in line with the principles, national interests and rights of the people of Iran," Araghchi said on X. The IAEA report said Iran had an estimated 408.6 kilogrammes of uranium enriched to up to 60 percent as of May 17, up by 133.8 kilogrammes since the last report in February. Iran's total amount of enriched uranium now exceeds 45 times the limit authorised by the 2015 agreement with world powers, and is estimated at 9,247.6 kilogrammes. "The significantly increased production and accumulation of highly enriched uranium by Iran, the only non-nuclear weapon State to produce such nuclear material, is of serious concern," the IAEA said. In a separate in-depth report, the IAEA criticised "less than satisfactory" cooperation from Tehran over its scrutiny of its nuclear programme, specifically noting Iran's lack of progress in explaining nuclear material found at undeclared sites. - Iran says nuclear arms 'unacceptable' - Western governments have long suspected Iran of seeking to develop a nuclear weapons capability to counter the widely suspected but undeclared arsenal of its arch-foe Israel. Iran has denied seeking nuclear arms and says it needs the uranium for civilian power production. Following the IAEA report, Israel on Saturday accused Iran of being "totally determined" to acquire nuclear weapons. "Such a level of enrichment exists only in countries actively pursuing nuclear weapons and has no civilian justification whatsoever," a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said. In response, Araghchi reaffirmed the country's longstanding position, saying Tehran rejected nuclear weapons. "If the issue is nuclear weapons, yes, we too consider this type of weapon unacceptable," Araghchi, Iran's lead negotiator in the talks, said in a televised speech. "We agree with them on this issue." Araghchi's remarks came a day after US President Donald Trump said Iran "cannot have a nuclear weapon", while expressing hope of striking a deal soon. On Thursday, Araghchi hit out at what he called "media speculation" that the two sides were close to an agreement, saying he was "not sure if" a deal was "imminent". Iran has held five rounds of talks with the United States on a new agreement with major powers after Trump abandoned the process during his first term as president in 2018. No date or venue has yet been announced for the next round but Araghchi said Wednesday that he expected an announcement from mediator Oman in the "next few days". Washington has said Iran's uranium programme must cease but Tehran insists it has a right to pursue it under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. - 'Very good talks' - Israel has repeatedly threatened military action, after pummelling Iranian air defences during two exchanges of fire last year. Trump said Wednesday that the United States was having "very good talks with Iran", adding that he had warned Netanyahu against striking its nuclear facilities as it would not be "appropriate right now". Trump has not ruled out military action but said he wants space to make a deal first, and has also said that Israel, and not the United States, would take the lead in any such strikes. Trump adopted a "maximum pressure" policy against Tehran after abandoning the 2015 agreement and reimposed sweeping sanctions which the deal had lifted in return for UN-monitored restrictions on Iran's nuclear activities. Iran continued to honour the agreement for a year, but then began rolling back its own compliance with its terms. Uranium enriched to up to 60 percent is far beyond the 3.67-percent limit set by the 2015 agreement. In recent days, Tehran has said that if a deal is reached, it may consider allowing US inspectors to join the IAEA monitoring teams. sbr-ap-kym/rlp/js
Washington Post
2 hours ago
- Washington Post
Who is Mohammed Sinwar, the Hamas military figure Israel says it killed?
An Israeli strike on the European Hospital complex in Gaza this month killed Mohammed Sinwar, the brother of slain Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and the man believed by Israel to be the chief commander of the group's military wing, the Israeli military said Saturday. The May 13 bombardment of the hospital complex in southern Gaza was intended to kill Sinwar, two people familiar with the matter told The Washington Post that day. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to media.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Jamie Smith enters Sioux Falls mayoral race with downtown speech
State Sen. Jamie Smith officially launched his campaign to be mayor of Sioux Falls in a May 31 speech on the front lawn of the Washington Pavilion, telling a crowd of friends, family and supporters that he would "always be available to you" if elected to the role. After introductions from people, including downtown business owner Michael Haskett and Smith's wife Kjerstin, Smith himself took the stage and gave a short speech in which he said how the city approaches things like development and the rule of law will be determined by its next mayor. 'Government can be a force for good when it is powered by the people that it serves," Smith said. He emphasized an interest in meeting with voters and hearing their ideas, adding, "Our city is best when we collaborate and when we communicate." Speaking with media following his speech, Smith said he learned a lot from his 2022 gubernatorial race against former Gov. Kristi Noem, including the importance of making others feel seen and heard, even if there isn't full agreement on an issue. Smith's campaign website cites families, development and safety as the three main parts of his platform, specifically pointing to the ongoing property tax cap issue as evidence that "the next mayor will need a strong relationship with the state legislature to keep South Dakota's largest city budget balanced." While Smith said he'd certainly have done some things differently as mayor during the last eight years, he said he didn't have anything he wanted to criticize about Mayor Paul TenHaken. Instead, he's focusing on looking forward to what his own administration would look like. Smith, one of the few elected Democrats in South Dakota's government, said he liked the idea that the mayoral position is non-partisan, something he said encourages people to think solely of who they feel will best do the job. More: People to Watch: Who could run for Sioux Falls' next mayor? He acknowledged that it was "a little weird" to be announcing a run for mayor without yet knowing the date of the election, following the signing of a bill in the state legislature that will see municipal elections set alongside either the June primaries or November general elections. However, he said that he'd be happy whether the Sioux Falls City Council chooses June 2 or Nov. 3 in 2026. Smith, who filed with the city to run for the position May 30, is now the second candidate in the race following David Zokaites' April announcement that he will make a third try for the office. This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Jamie Smith enters Sioux Falls mayoral race with downtown speech
