Britain, France introduce measure to confront Iran
United Nations – Britain and France introduced a U.N. Security Council resolution Wednesday that would be legally binding and set the stage for sanctions against Iran if it does not abandon uranium enrichment.
Diplomats said they hoped the resolution, backed by the United States but opposed by China and Russia, will be adopted before a meeting of foreign ministers in New York Monday.
The resolution mandates that Iran “shall suspend all enrichment related and reprocessing activities,” according to the text presented to the council.
But Iranian nuclear chief Gholamreza Aghazadeh said Wednesday that his nation had enriched uranium to the upper end of the range needed to make fuel for reactors, further defying U.N. demands. Iran announced April 11 that it had enriched uranium for the first time.
The resolution also calls on Iran to stop construction of a heavy-water reactor. It will seek a report back from the U.N. nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, on Tehran’s compliance.
“Once again, the key to this lies in Iran’s hands,” U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said. “If they give up the pursuit of nuclear weapons, a lot of things are possible. If they continue to bluster and to threaten and obfuscate and try to throw sand in our eyes, then we’re onto a different circumstance.”
ALEXANDRIA, Va.
Exec pleads guilty to bribing congressman
A technology executive pleaded guilty Wednesday to paying more than $400,000 in bribes to a congressman in charges stemming from an investigation of Rep. William Jefferson, a Louisiana Democrat.
Vernon Jackson, 53, chief executive of the Louisville, Ky.- based telecommunications firm iGate Inc., admitted to bribery of a public official and conspiracy to bribe a public official during a plea hearing in federal court. Court records make clear that the congressman whom Jackson admits bribing is Jefferson, who represents New Orleans in the House.
CINCINNATI
Member of rapper’s entourage shot dead
A member of the entourage of best-selling rapper T.I. was killed and three others were injured in a gun battle early Wednesday that began as a fight in a suburban after-hours club. T.I., 25, was not hurt.
Witnesses told police the fight began at a party for T.I. and fellow rapper Yung Joc after they performed Tuesday night at a concert hall near the University of Cincinnati. No arrests have been made.
A dispute with local residents prompted T.I. and his group to leave the party, but they were pursued by two sport utility vehicles, police said.
A gun battle ensued. Four persons were hit and one of them, Philant Johnson, 26, was pronounced dead at a hospital. He was described as the rapper’s personal assistant.
TYLER, Texas
Woman given 20 years after sex with stepson
A 39-year-old woman who had a sexual relationship with her teenage stepson and later gave birth to their child has been sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Carla Kay Dinger pleaded guilty to sexual assault of a child before Tuesday’s sentencing. She was also ordered to pay a $10,000 fine.
She admitted carrying on a sexual relationship for two years with her then-stepson, starting in 1998 when he was 14. It ended when Dinger found out she was pregnant with her stepson’s child. Dinger and the teen’s father divorced in 2002.
LIMA, Peru
Ex-president reaches runoff for same post
Former President Alan Garcia edged ex-lawmaker Lourdes Flores to reach a presidential runoff, the head of Peru’s National Election Board said.
Garcia will face nationalist candidate Ollanta Humala in the June 4 vote, the board’s president, Enrique Mendoza, said.
“The legal challenges this board has received will not produce any variation in the results,” Mendoza said.
N’DJAMENA, Chad
Presidential election is largely ignored
Only a trickle of voters cast ballots Wednesday in the capital of Chad, where incumbent President Idriss Deby was expected to retain control of this emerging African oil exporter after rebuffing calls to delay the election in favor of peace talks with rebels.
There were fewer than a dozen people at many polling stations in N’Djamena, a city of several hundred thousand. Some polling stations were empty.
Deby needed a massive turnout to give his re-election legitimacy: With the opposition boycotting, the only other names on the ballot were three of Deby’s cronies and a minor opposition leader.
STOCKHOLM, Sweden
Somali leader: U.S. funding warlords
The leader of a U.N.-backed transitional government that is trying to assert control over Somalia said Wednesday he believes the United States is funding an alliance of warlords fighting radical Islamic militias in his country and should be working directly with his administration instead.
The U.S. has said only that American officials have met with a wide variety of Somali leaders to try to fight international terrorists in the country.
