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Inspectors press U.S. on asylum for scientists

The United Nation's nuclear arms watchdog has begun conducting private closed-door interviews with Iraq's atomic energy experts, marking a critical new stage in the UN's effort to verify Baghdad's claims that it has destroyed its most lethal weapons of mass destruction, according to a spokesman for the agency.

When a senior Iraqi delegation arrived in New York on May 1 to finish plans for the resumption of UN inspections in Iraq, a key member of the team was missing.

With Iraq's announcement on Wednesday that it will accept tough new UN inspection terms, a team of disarmament experts will likely arrive in Baghdad on Monday to restart their surveillance cameras, install their communications equipment and begin the most intrusive weapons inspection operation in modern history.

With an advance team of UN weapons inspectors due to arrive in Baghdad today after a four year absence, the United States and the United Nations are divided over how aggressively the inspectors should conduct their hunt for chemical, biological and nuclear weapons programmes in Iraq, UN and U.S. officials say.

Severe financial crunch curbs aid to civilians

The United Nations estimates that a U.S.-led military campaign to overthrow Iraqi President Saddam Hussain could place about 10 million Iraqi civilians, including more than 2 million refugees and homeless, at risk of hunger and disease and in need of immediate assistance, according to a UN planning document.

The Bush administration has decided not to go immediately to the United Nations Security Council to insist that the discovery by weapons inspectors on Thursday of 12 undeclared chemical warheads in Iraq constitutes a "material breach" of Iraq's disarmament obligations and therefore justifies military action against Baghdad, U.S. officials said on Friday.

Iran intends to continue expanding its civilian nuclear energy programme despite U.S. allegations that it is a cover for a secret nuclear weapons programme, a senior Iranian official said Wednesday.

The former secretary-general touts his support for climate change, regrets failures from Haiti to North Korea, and calls Al Assad a liar

Qatar’s support for Islamists muddles its reputation as neutral broker in Mideast

Its humanitarian workers chronicle Syria’s suffering but are reluctant to name Bashar Al Assad’s regime for obstructing relief operations