Geneva II: Iran left out of first round of nations for UN Syria peace talks

While Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has began sending out invitations for the Geneva II talks on the Syrian conflict on Monday, a UN spokesman says that Iran is not among them.

However, the invitations to the talks are subject to approval by the “initiating states,” Russia and the United States.

The Independent has reported that the United States and Russia have not yet agreed on Iran's role in the talks. But the UN spokesman  says the United Nations hopes that can be resolved at a 13 January meeting between US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

The US has objected to Iran's participation because it hasn't publicly endorsed the principles from an earlier peace conference that called for a transitional government in Syria, and is backing militias, including the Iranian-allied Lebanese Hezbollah group that has aided the troops of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

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Major Chinese banks to skip World Bank, IMF talks in Japan as a protest over Territorial Dispute

Major Chinese banks will skip World Bank and International Monetary Fund meetings this week in Japan, China's state media said, in apparent protest over a territorial dispute between the two countries.

Map courtesy LNG World News

China and Japan are locked in a festering row over East China Sea islands that has seen the two sides trade insults, touched off protests in China, and hurt Japanese firms doing business in the Chinese market.

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Four state-owned banks -- the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Bank of China, China Construction Bank and Agriculture Bank of China -- will not attend the meetings, Xinhua news agency reported late on Monday.

Read details: Business Recorder

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Pakistan ISI chief in US to hold talks with CIA head

Pakistan's ISI chief Lt Gen Zaheer-ul-Islam on Wednesday arrived in Washington on his maiden visit to the US as the apy agency head to hold crucial talks with his CIA counterpart Gen (rtd) David Petraeus.

Islam is scheduled to hold his first official meeting with Petraeus.

Islam is expected to raise the issue of opposition of continued drone strikes by the US in the tribal areas of the country, and the recent increasing incidents of alleged crossing over of terrorist based in Afghanistan.

Read more: IBN Live

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Russia offers to host talks between Syrian government and opposition

Moscow says it is ready to host negotiations between the government of President Bashar Assad and the Syrian opposition in an effort to resolve the deteriorating situation in the country.

Russia is also ready to send 30 military observers to the UN Supervision Mission in Syria, Vitaly Churkin, Russia’s ambassador to the UN, said on Wednesday.

"By supporting the work of the Mission, Russia has informed the UN Secretariat about its readiness to send 30 military observers to UNSMIS. We are also ready to give a platform for talks in Moscow to the Syrian authorities and the opposition," Churkin said as quoted by Itar-Tass news agency.

Russia’s envoy to the global body reiterated that Moscow’s stance on Syria is “principled.”

Read details: RT

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Iran nuclear talks 'constructive'

The first discussions between Iran and six world powers on Tehran's nuclear programme have ended on a positive note, Western officials have said.

The talks in Istanbul on Saturday were the first for 15 months. The next round will take place in Baghdad on 23 May.

Iran says its programme is peaceful, but critics suspect it of seeking to develop a nuclear weapons programme.

Speaking at the end of the talks between the six countries - the US, UK, France, China, Russia and Germany - and Iran, Baroness Ashton said that future discussions would be guided by the "principle of a step-by-step approach and reciprocity".

She said that Iran has the right to a peaceful nuclear programme, and that the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty must be a "key basis" for future talks.

Read more: BBC News

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Key Iranian nuclear talks resume

Six world powers and Iran meet in Istanbul for talks aimed at ending the deadlock over Tehran's controversial nuclear programme.

Envoys from the US, UK, France, China, Russia and Germany hope the talks will halt rising regional tension.

Iran says its nuclear programme is peaceful, but critics suspect it of seeking to develop nuclear weapons.

Read more: BBC News

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