World briefly
Published 9:00 pm Monday, February 26, 2007
Major powers begin work on new resolution on Iran
LONDON – The five permanent Security Council members and Germany began work Monday on a new U.N. resolution to pressure Iran to suspend parts of its nuclear program, but said they were still committed to seeking a diplomatic solution.
The senior officials from Britain, the United States, France, Germany, Russia, China and the EU Secretariat discussed the possibility of imposing incremental restrictions on trade and arms for Iran, officials said.
Russia and China are likely to oppose strict economic sanctions or weapons bans.
State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said diplomats would hold a telephone conference Thursday, “at which time they hope to be able to hammer out the elements of a U.N. sanctions resolution.”
Afghanistan: Blast as Cheney visits
An explosion outside the U.S. military base in Bagram went off today as Vice President Dick Cheney was visiting, killing at least two people but apparently not putting the vice president in danger, U.S. and Afghan officials said.
Venezuela: Chavez takes oil projects
President Hugo Chavez ordered by decree on Monday the takeover of oil projects run by foreign oil companies in Venezuela’s Orinoco River region, by letting the state oil company take a 60 percent stake. Chavez did not detail how the government will pay for its increased share in the projects in which the companies are estimated to have invested some $17 billion.
Somalia: Navy heads for hijackers
An unspecified U.S. Navy vessel and three Somali police speedboats headed Monday toward a U.N.-chartered cargo ship that was hijacked Sunday by pirates after delivering food aid to northeastern Somalia, a senior police official said.
Pakistan: 11 die at kite festival
At least 11 people were killed and more than 100 people injured at an annual kite-flying festival in Basant, officials said Monday. Kite flyers often use strings made of wire or coated with ground glass to try to damage a rival’s kite, often after betting on the outcome. A 16-year-old girl and a 12-year-old boy died after their throats were slashed by metal kite strings in separate incidents. Two people were electrocuted as they tried to recover kites tangled in overhead power cables, and two people fell from roofs. Five of those who died were hit by stray bullets in celebratory gunfire.
From Herald news services
