World powers seek Iran nuclear censure

The UN nuclear watchdog censured Iran on Friday and demanded it immediately halt construction of a newly-revealed uranium enrichment plant as world powers united against Tehran.After China and Russia joined forces with Western nations, 25 members of the International Atomic Energy Agency's 35-strong board voted for a resolution which was the first to be passed against Iran since February 2006.The vote was swiftly denounced by Iran whose ambassador to the IAEA said it would "jeopardise the conducive environment" for dialogue.

One of Britain's biggest companies has made millions of pounds selling goods to Iran, including to a state-owned firm that supplies the regime's nuclear programme. Glencore, a commodity trading house run by the billionaire Ivan Glasenberg, traded $659m (£430m) of goods, including aluminium oxide, to Iran last year, the Guardian has established.

President Obama has stepped up the rhetoric against Iran with an offer to "negotiate". His offer is no offer at all, it is a demand to surrender. There will be nothing left to "negotiate" if Iran accepts the offer. This is what Obama demands before "negotiation" begins.

UN atomic watchdog chief Yukiya Amano expressed "great concern" Thursday over reports that North Korea has built a state-of-the-art uranium enrichment facility."It was with great concern that I learned of recent reports about a new uranium enrichment facility, as well as the construction of a new light water reactor, in the DPRK" or Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Amano said in his opening address to the 35-member board of governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The UN atomic watchdog's board of governors elected Friday a new chairman as new controversy raged over Iran's disputed nuclear drive.The International Atomic Energy Agency's 35-member board voted for Malaysian envoy, Muhammad Shahrul Ikram Yaakob, by consensus as its new chairman at a special meeting here, diplomats who attended the closed-door session said.No other topic, such as Iran, was discussed, the diplomats said.Yaakob takes over from his fellow countryman Mohd Arshad bin Manzoor Hussain who had originally been elected board chairman for the current period.

China confirmed it would meet with other world powers in New York on Thursday to discuss the next steps against Iran over its suspect nuclear programme."China will participate in the relevant discussions," foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told reporters."China still believes dialogue and consultation are the best way to solve the nuclear issue."The talks bring together the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- plus Germany, who have been negotiating with Iran for months.