Morning Brief: Iranian negotiators agree to uranium enrichment deal

Wed, 10/21/2009 - 8:12am

Top story: The International Atomic Energy Agency says Iranian negotiators have agreed to a draft proposal to ship most of its uranium to Russia for enrichment. The deal must still be accepted by Tehran, as well as the government of France, Russia, and the United States. 

Details have not been released, but the agreement likely involves Iran shipping 75 percent of its enriched uranium stockpile to Russia for further enrichment. If Iran followed through, this would reduce its stockpile to below what would be required to create a nuclear weapon. However, Iran could likely replace that stockpile "in little over a year," according to David Albright of the Institute for Science and International Security.

"I very much hope that people see the big picture, see that this agreement could open the way for a complete normalization of relations between Iran and the International community," said IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei 

Toxic site: Italian investigators are investigating a possible organized crime conspiracy to dump nuclear waste in the Mediterranean. 

Asia

  • Afghan election runner-up Abdullah Abdullah has accepted a Nov. 7 runoff with Hamid Karzai. 
  • All school and universities in Pakistan have been shut down after an attack on an Islamic University in Islamabad. 
  • U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates is pressuring the Japanese government to accept a reorganization of the U.S. troop presence. 

Middle East

  • Iran sentenced an Iranian-American academic to 12 years in jail for his alleged role in anti-government protests. 
  • President Mahmoud Abbas set a Jan. 24 date for the next Palestinian elections. 
  • Kuwait has granted women the right to obtain a passport without spousal consent. 

Europe

  • Polish Prime minister Donald Tusk says his country is ready to participate in the United States' new missile defense arrangement as Vice President Joe Biden arrives in the country.
  • Bosnia has rejected a package of constitutional reforms proposed by U.S. and EU leaders. 
  • Prosecutors have requested a $67,300 fine in the trial of former Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin but no jail time. 

Africa

Americas

  • Honduras has lifted a broadcast ban on opposition TV and radio stations. 
  • The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear the appeal of a group of Uighur prisoners from Guantanamo Bay seeking to be released into the United States. 
  • Nicaragua's Supreme Court granted President Daniel Ortega the right to run for another term in office. 
SAMUEL KUBANI/AFP/Getty Images
Joshua Keating | Permalink | | Comments? Login or register
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