Nuclear fuel shipped to Iran
Russia announced Monday that it has delivered an initial shipment of nuclear fuel to the Bushehr nuclear power plant in Iran, a step that Moscow and Washington said removes any need for Tehran to pursue a widely opposed uranium enrichment program. The Russian Foreign Ministry said it had received written assurances from Tehran that the 82 tons of fuel will be used only at the plant.
Putin will seek premiership
Vladimir Putin assured his political party Monday that Russia’s age of Putin is far from over, pledging to accept an offer of the prime minister’s post when he leaves the presidency next year. Putin, whose power still seems ascendant, finally settled on one of his many post-presidential political options, which had ranged from altering the Russian constitution so he could run again to outright retirement.
Iraq condemns airstrikes
Iraq’s parliament on Monday condemned the bombing of suspected Kurdish rebel bases by Turkish jets — an attack that seemed to carry tacit U.S. approval — and denounced the raid as an outrageous violation of Iraqi sovereignty. As many as 50 Turkish fighter jets were involved in the airstrikes Sunday in the Qandil mountains of northern Iraq in the biggest attack against Turkish Kurd rebels in years.
Saudi king pardons victim
A gang-rape victim who was sentenced to six months in prison and 200 lashes for being alone with a man not related to her was pardoned by the Saudi king after the case sparked rare criticism from the U.S., the kingdom’s top ally. Outrage over the sentence prompted unusually strong comments from President Bush. In past weeks, Saudi officials appeared wary of hurting their image in the U.S.
