Wed, 19 May 2021 16:20 UTC The EU official leading talks to revive Iran s nuclear deal said on Wednesday he was confident a deal would be reached as the negotiations adjourned, although European diplomats said success was not guaranteed with very difficult issues remaining.
The talks resumed in Vienna on May 7 with the remaining parties to the deal - Iran, Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany - meeting in the basement of a luxury hotel, and the United States based in another hotel across the street.
Iran has refused to hold direct talks with the United States on how to resume compliance with the 2015 deal, which former President Donald Trump abandoned in 2018, prompting Tehran to begin violating its terms about a year later.
UN demands Belarus free ‘abducted’ journalist By ROBIN MILLARD, Agence France-Presse
Published May 25, 2021 11:48pm
A Belarusian dog handler checks luggage brought off a Ryanair Boeing 737-8AS (flight number FR4978) parked on Minsk International Airport s apron in Minsk, on May 23, 2021. Belarusian opposition Telegram channel Nexta said Sunday its former editor and exiled opposition activist Roman Protasevich had been detained at the airport after the Lithuania-bound flight made an emergency landing. NATO and EU leaders have denounced the incident. Onliner.By/AFP GENEVA The United Nations on Tuesday demanded the immediate release of Belarusian journalist Roman Protasevich and his girlfriend, saying their abduction was an abuse of state power.
Belarus accused of ‘state-sponsored piracy’ as Ryanair says KGB agents were on diverted plane
Ryanair slammed Belarus on Monday over what it described as a “state-sponsored hijacking” of one of its passenger planes, as new details emerged about the brazen operation to arrest a dissident journalist on board Sunday’s flight from Greece to Lithuania.
Ryanair’s CEO Michael O’Leary accused Belarus of “state-sponsored piracy” after its flight 4978 from Athens to Vilnius was diverted by Belarusian air traffic control to Minsk over a supposed security alert.
O’Leary said Belarusian KGB agents were also on the flight that was carrying 26-year-old opposition activist Raman Pratasevich, who is wanted in Belarus on a variety of charges and was detained once the plane landed.