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| Typhoon Haiyan slams the Philippines - Washington Post Posted: 08 Nov 2013 09:27 AM PST  Africa's struggle with poaching Fueled by the increasing demand for tusks and horns from Asia, rhino and elephant poaching continues to rise in Africa. Poaching of these endangered animals is happening at such an...  Mount Sinabung erupts, Soyuz launch, Prince Charles and Camilla in India, Jordan River baptism and more. |
| Kerry in Geneva to push nuclear talks with Iran; says 'important gaps' remain - Washington Post Posted: 08 Nov 2013 09:14 AM PST GENEVA — Secretary of State John F. Kerry arrived here Friday to join other top Western diplomats in nuclear talks with Iran, but cautioned that "important gaps" must be bridged before a deal can be struck. "There is not an agreement at this point in time," said Kerry, who was scheduled to sit down with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton later in the day. "There are still some very important issues on the table that are unresolved." The emerging deal would give Iran limited relief from some economic sanctions in exchange for a temporary freeze of some of its nuclear activities, which Iran says are for the purpose of energy production but the United States and its allies have said are part of an effort to develop nuclear weapons. Ashton invited Kerry to Geneva after representatives on both sides of the negotiations indicated that gaps between them were closing fast. His counterparts from Germany, France and Great Britain quickly elected to join him. If the remaining differences are not resolved by Saturday, officials said, a final agreement could come in a subsequent Geneva session, perhaps as soon as next week. Israel, in particular, remains staunchly opposed to any deal that does not require Iran to completely eliminate its nuclear centrifuges. On Friday, the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeated its warning to negotiators that they should not back off their crippling sanctions until Iran's entire nuclear program is eradicated. "Years from now, when an Islamic terrorist blows up a suitcase in New York, or when Iran launches a nuclear missile at Rome or Tel Aviv, it will have happened only because a bad deal was made during these defining moments," said Economics Minister Naftali Bennett, a prominent hardliner. "It is not enough to shut off the centrifuges. They need to be completely dismantled." U.S. officials said the proposed nuclear freeze could be a "first step" in a comprehensive pact restricting Tehran's ability to seek atomic weapons, and could herald a significant shift in U.S.-Iranian relations after years of enmity. U.S. officials said they are aiming for a multi-step negotiating process that could culminate in an agreement early next year on permanent limits to Iran's ability to produce the components of a nuclear bomb. The easing of sanctions would be reversed if Iran did not honor its commitments, or if it was unable to reach a broader nuclear agreement. The officials stressed that the toughest sanctions affecting Iran's banking sector and oil exports would not be lifted until the final stage of the process. Although Iran has not responded publicly to the freeze plan, its chief negotiator said the sides were "making progress," while acknowledging that the discussions were "tough." "I believe it is possible to reach an understanding or an agreement before we close these negotiations tomorrow evening," Iran's Zarif told CNN on Thursday. Officials said Kerry will consult with his counterparts among the Western negotiating powers here, including French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle and British Foreign Secretary William Hague, and will confer with the White House and Congress when he returns to Washington early next week. |
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