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World in brief

Iran wants more input in talks on nuclear program

By wire services
Published August 26, 2005

TEHRAN, Iran - Iran on Thursday called for more countries to join three European states in talks about its nuclear program, apparently hoping to bring in more sympathetic negotiators. The surprise call was part of Tehran's drive to win approval for what it says will be peaceful use of nuclear power.

The talks involving France, Germany and Britain suffered a blow earlier this month when Iran rejected the Europeans' central proposal - an offer of economic incentives in return for permanently giving up uranium development. Tehran also resumed uranium conversion at its plant in the central city of Isfahan.

Iran's new top nuclear negotiator, hard-liner Ali Larijani, said his country would welcome negotiations with all 35 members of the board of governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Britain's Foreign Office said there was "no basis for negotiation with Iran until they respond" to an IAEA resolution adopted earlier this month that calls on Iran to suspend reprocessing activities at Isfahan. The EU countries called off a negotiating session scheduled for Wednesday because of the resumption of work there.

UNITED NATIONS - Syria has refused to turn over documents and ignored interview requests in the U.N. inquiry into the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, a top U.N. official said Thursday.

German prosecutor Detlev Mehlis, the chief of the investigation, thinks the Syrian silence has "considerably slowed down" the work of the commission examining Hariri's death, Undersecretary-General for Political Affairs Ibrahim Gambari told the U.N. Security Council.

After hearing Gambari's briefing, the council released a statement that urged all states to cooperate, "especially those who are yet to respond adequately."

That veiled reference to Syria had been more explicit in an earlier draft, but Russia and Algeria objected, council diplomats said.

U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said the United States was disappointed the council couldn't have been more clear, and accused Syria of not cooperating.

TOKYO - A powerful typhoon disrupted air traffic and oil shipments in Japan on Thursday as it churned northward over the Pacific Ocean.

The storm, with winds up to 95 mph, could land in the Tokyo area early today, Japan's Meteorological Agency said.

Areas in the Kanto region around Tokyo were expected to get as much as 14 inches of rain in a 24-hour span, while waves as high as 20 feet had been recorded along the coast.

Japan was struck by a record 10 typhoons and tropical storms last year, leaving nearly 220 people dead or missing, the largest casualty toll since 1983.

[Last modified August 26, 2005, 01:47:32]