Science - Nuclear Weapons

TEHRAN, Iran - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has appointed a new chief for the country's nuclear program, following the abrupt resignation of its veteran head, the official IRNA news agency reported Friday.

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran's government has named a former envoy to the U.N. nuclear watchdog as new head of the country's Atomic Energy Organization after its head for 12 years resigned, Iranian media reported Friday.

SEOUL (AFP) - North Korea faces its worst crisis in 15 years due to international tensions over its nuclear weapons and uncertainty about the health of leader Kim Jong-Il, a South Korean think tank said.

CHICAGO (AFP) - Iran's nuclear ambitions are the greatest current threat to global security, according to US Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

UNITED NATIONS - The U.N. imposed new sanctions Thursday against five North Korean officials, four companies and a state agency, and banned imports of two weapons-making materials, in a rare unified push by the world's powers to thwart Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions.

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain could look at further reductions in the number of its nuclear warheads, but only if the United States and Russia make deeper cuts in their arsenals than those already announced, the government said on Thursday.

WASHINGTON - The District of Columbia government could fund abortions for the poor and take steps toward legalizing marijuana for medical purposes under a spending bill passed by the House on Thursday.

TEHRAN, Iran - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad railed against the U.S. in a speech Thursday, showing little indication of embracing Washington's offer of engagement, a day after Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said time was running out.

LONDON (AFP) - Prime Minister Gordon Brown said the world was at a "critical and defining moment" on nuclear weapons Thursday as the government released a report underlining its willingness to cut arms before talks in 2010.

TEHRAN (Reuters) - The head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, Gholamreza Aghazadeh, has resigned and his resignation has been accepted by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the ISNA news agency reported on Thursday.

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's BND foreign intelligence agency said on Wednesday that Iran was probably years away from being able to produce and test an atomic bomb.

SHARM EL-SHEIK, Egypt - Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi says Iran should be encouraged to pursue its nuclear program as long as it is for peaceful purposes.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia will not agree to tougher sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program in exchange for a new nuclear arms cuts deal with Washington, Interfax news agency quoted a foreign ministry source as saying Tuesday.

WASHINGTON, Jul 13 (OneWorld.net) – U.S. President Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart Dmitri Medvedev made commendable progress toward a world free of nuclear weapons at last week's Moscow summit, but much more needs to be done, say arms control groups, one of which has launched new efforts to ramp up pressure on the U.S. leader.

SEOUL (AFP) - South Korea and China have agreed to try to revive six-nation talks on North Korea's nuclear disarmament, after the North quit the forum and vowed to restart its atomic weapons programme.

L'AQUILA, Italy (AFP) - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Friday that Libya's renunciation of weapons of mass destruction offered an "important lesson" amid fears over North Korea and Iran's nuclear ambitions.

L'AQUILA, Italy (AFP) - US President Barack Obama cranked up pressure on Iran by saying Friday world leaders were "appalled" at post-poll violence and would not stand idly by while Iran builds a nuclear weapon.

L'AQUILA, Italy (AFP) - Prime Minister Gordon Brown says Britain could reduce its nuclear arsenal as part of a global disarmament deal to persuade Iran and North Korea to give up its nuclear ambitions.