MAPUTO, Mozambique (AP) — Violence that engulfed Mozambique after the country's highest court confirmed ruling Frelimo party presidential candidate Daniel Chapo as the winner of disputed Oct. 9 elections killed at least 21 people, including two police officers, authorities said Tuesday. Mozambique Interior Minister Pascoal Ronda told a news conference in Maputo late Tuesday that a wave of violence and looting was sparked by the court's announcement a day earlier. He said it was led by mostly youthful supporters of losing candidate Venancio Mondlane, who received 24% of the vote, second to Chapo, who got 65%. “From the preliminary survey, in the last 24 hours, 236 acts of violence were recorded throughout the national territory that resulted in 21 deaths, of which two members of the Police of the Republic of Mozambique also died," Ronda said. He said 13 civilians and 12 police were injured. Ronda said 25 vehicles were set on fire, including two police vehicles. He added that 11 police subunits and a penitentiary were attacked and vandalized and 86 inmates were freed. Tensions were high in the country ahead of the The Constitutional Council ruling on Monday and violent protests started immediately after the announcement was made. Footage circulating on various social media platforms showed protesters burning and looting shops in the capital Maputo and the city of Beira, where some city officials were reported to have fled the city. Mondlane has called for a “shutdown” starting Friday but violence in the country has already escalated and the situation remained tense in the capital on Tuesday night following a day of violence and looting by protesters. The country of 34 million people has been on edge since the Oct. 9 general elections . Mondlane’s supporters, mostly hundreds of thousands of young people, have since taken to the streets, and have been met by gunfire from security forces. This brings to more than 150 the number of people who have died from post-election violence since the initial results were announced by the country's electoral body.ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. (AP) — Maverick McNealy steadied himself after a rugged start Saturday with a 4-under 66 and caught up with Vince Whaley in a wild third round at the RSM Classic in which a half-dozen players had at least a share of the lead. McNealy looked as though he might have the lead when he hit wedge on the final hole that rolled just by the cup and settled 8 feet away. He missed the putt, still in great position to go after his first PGA Tour victory. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.Travis Kelce Shakes Off Jason Kelce's Cheeky Taylor Swift ReferenceQatar tribune NASA spacecraft was attempting to make history on Tuesday with the closest-ever approach to the Sun. Moving at speeds of almost 700,000 kilometres per hour and enduring temperatures of up to 982 degrees Celsius, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe was on a mission to “touch” the Sun to help scientists better understand the star, according to the space agency’s website. On Christmas Eve, the probe would pass by the Sun within a record-breaking 3.6 million miles above its surface. In a video on X, NASA official Nicky Fox explained that the mission will help discover what drives solar activity and why the sun’s outer atmosphere, known as the corona, is hotter than its surface. She said: “By flying extremely close to the Sun, Parker Solar Probe can directly measure the solar wind near the source, and that will help us understand the origins of the solar wind and those intense bursts of energy that come from our Sun. “These insights are crucial for understanding what drives solar activity, which can affect technology on Earth, from satellites to power grids and even astronauts in space. “By getting closer to the Sun than ever before, Parker Solar Probe will reveal the secrets about our star that can help protect our technology and support our future exploration.” During the approach, the spacecraft will be out of contact with the Earth because of constraints on signal transmission while it is in close proximity to the Sun, meaning it will not be able to send a signal back to its operators until December 27 indicating its condition after the flyby. Since the spacecraft launched in 2018, it has circled gradually closer to the sun - flying past Venus in order to use the planet’s gravity to move it into a tighter orbit. When it first passed into the Sun’s atmosphere in 2021, the probe made unexpected discoveries about the boundary of the corona. At the end of next January, scientists expect the spacecraft to begin to send back the data it collected on the Christmas Eve flyby. (DPA) Copy 25/12/2024 10
President Bola Tinubu and his wife, Oluremi, have departed Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, after participating in the 2024 G-20 leaders’ summit. During the summit, held from Monday, November 18, to Tuesday, November 19, 2024, Tinubu engaged in bilateral discussions to advance Nigeria’s socio-economic reforms. The G20 summit, hosted by Brazilian President Lula da Silva, focused on the theme, “Building a Just World and a Sustainable Planet.” Discussions addressed sustainable development in economic, social, and environmental dimensions, global governance reforms, climate change, and the digital economy. The meeting brought together leaders from the world’s top 20 economies, including the European Union, the African Union, and multilateral financial institutions, among others. Related News Osinbajo’s ex-aide urges Obasanjo to stop mocking successive presidents N’Assembly under fire as Nigeria’s debt hits N138tn LP denies collusion with Tinubu for 2027 election The G20 comprises 19 member countries, including Argentina, Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Republic of Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Türkiye, the UK, and the US, along with the European Union. PUNCH Online reports that the Nigerian leader’s participation in the meeting was at the hands of the Brazilian president . Tinubu was accompanied by top government officials, including the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar; Ministers of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha; Minster of Art, Tourism, Culture and Creativity, Hannatu Musawa; Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Aliyu Abdullahi; and the Director General of the National Intelligence Agency, Mohammed Mohammed.
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Governor Ahmed Aliyu of Sokoto has reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring the development of a new Sokoto. The governor gave the assurance on Tuesday at the state government house during the swearing-in ceremony of new set of Commissioners, Special Advisers, and Permanent Secretaries. He said the swearing-in has in no doubt opened a new chapter in his administration’s renewed commitment towards achieving its 9-point innovative smart agenda for the state, aimed at ensuring a new and better Sokoto State. “As we all know, commissioners are the political heads in their respective Ministries and also members of the State Executive Council, the highest decision-making body of the state. “I’m optimistic that all of you are chosen on merit, based on your tract records which proves your integrity with vast experience in all human endeavors. You are expected to deploy your rich experiences in running the affairs of your respective ministries in the overall development of the state. You should therefore live above board. “The Special Advisers are equally a veritable tool in the effective management of their respective Departments or agencies. They also serve as the political heads of wherever they are assigned. “In the other hand, Permanent Secretaries are the heads of the administration and Accounting officers of their various Ministries, Departments and Agencies. It is to be noted that this position makes the Permanent Secretaries an important tool for the success of any administration.” The governor retreated that all the appointees were appointed on the expectation that they would deliver, “therefore we expect much from you in the realization of our collective dream of a better Sokoto State. “As heads of your MDAs in your respective places of assignment a lot is expected from you. You must ensure transparency, accountability, and good governance at every level of your transactions. “You must ensure proper record keeping in all your MDAs to leave behind a strong and credible legacy at any time you are moved to other places. “We expect you to work harmoniously with one another. You must ensure harmonious working relationship among your officers so that the required positive results can be achieved. You must consult, study, and master your assigned schedules to enable you to perform better. “You must bear in mind that this administration is the true reflection of a government of the people by the people and for the people, therefore our sole target is to serve the good people of the state, no more no less, and in consonance with our 9-point innovative smart agenda. “You are therefore expected to be dedicated, committed, and hardworking in your areas of primary assignment. You must also be prudent in the management of the resources at your disposal. You should know that this administration has zero tolerance for corruption, therefore you must operate with all transparency and accountability and above all allow the fear of Allah to guide you. “You should have it in mind that you are appointed to serve your state and add value for the overall development of the state. You can therefore be posted and re-posted to any sector. You should note that every sector is important in the service delivery. The State Civil Service requires rejuvenation and discipline, therefore you must ensure improvement in the productivity of the service” The governor further said, “Let me reiterate and reassure both the civil servants and entire good people of our dear state that our government would continue to be committed to the well-being of our people. “The security of lives and property is of utmost priority to us. We would, therefore, continue to collaborate with Federal Government and all the security Agencies in the discharge of that responsibility. ” I would like the civil servant to guard against laziness, lateness, and indolence to work. On our part, we will continue to address your needs for optimal performance. You must therefore be punctual, dedicated above all committed to your duty,” he added. READ MORE FROM: NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Suspected gang members opened fire on journalists in Haiti's capital on Tuesday as they were covering the attempted reopening of the country's largest hospital, wounding or killing an unknown number of people. Haiti's interim president, Leslie Voltaire, said in an address to the nation that journalists and police were among the victims of the vicious Christmas Eve attack. He did not specify how many casualties there were, or give a breakdown for the dead or wounded. “I send my sympathies to the people who were victims, the national police and the journalists,” Voltaire said, pledging “this crime is not going to go unpunished.” There were concerns there could be fatalities — a video posted online by the reporters trapped inside the hospital showed what appeared to be two lifeless bodies of men on stretchers, their clothes bloodied. One of the men had a lanyard with a press credential around his neck. Radio Télé Métronome initially reported that seven journalists and two police officers were wounded. Police and officials did not immediately respond to calls for information on the attack. Street gangs have taken over an estimated 85% of Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince. They forced the closure of the General Hospital early this year during violence that also targeted the main international airport and Haiti’s two largest prisons. Authorities had pledged to reopen the facility Tuesday but as journalists gathered to cover the event, suspected gang members opened fire. Video posted online earlier showed reporters inside the building and at least three lying on the floor, apparently wounded. That video could also not be immediately verified. Johnson “Izo” André, considered Haiti’s most powerful gang leader and part of a gang coalition known as Viv Ansanm that has taken control of much of Port-au-Prince , posted a video on social media claiming responsibility for the attack. The video said the gang coalition had not authorized the hospital's reopening. Haiti has seen journalists targeted before. In 2023, two local journalists were killed in the space of a couple of weeks — radio reporter Dumesky Kersaint was fatally shot in mid-April that year, while journalist Ricot Jean was found dead later that month. In July, former Prime Minister Garry Conille visited the Hospital of the State University of Haiti, more widely known as the General Hospital, after authorities regained control of it from gangs. The hospital had been left ravaged and strewn with debris. Walls and nearby buildings were riddled with bullet holes, signaling fights between police and gangs. The hospital is across the street from the national palace, the scene of several battles in recent months. Gang attacks have pushed Haiti’s health system to the brink of collapse with looting, setting fires, and destroying medical institutions and pharmacies in the capital. The violence has created a surge in patients and a shortage of resources to treat them. Haiti’s health care system faces additional challenges during the rainy season, which is likely to increase the risk of water-borne diseases. Poor conditions in camps and makeshift settlements have heightened the risk of diseases like cholera, with over 84,000 suspected cases in the country, according to UNICEF. ___ Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america... Donates Bus For Propagation Of Islam IBADAN – Oyo State governor ‘Seyi Makinde, has commended the Muslim Community in the state for its immense support for his administration and the contributions of the Muslim Ummah to the growth and development of the state since he assumed office. The governor stated this on Tuesday, while receiving the Muslim Community of Oyo State, led by its leader, Alhaji Kunle Sanni, on a courtesy visit at the Executive Chamber, Office of the Governor, Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan. Governor Makinde also donated a bus to the Muslim Community, urging them to continue to resist tendencies that can divide the state through religion or politics. The governor said, “Since 2019, I can say it without any bias that some of the quality advice that I have gotten in terms of governance came from our Muslim leaders. So, I don’t discriminate. “When some people came and said that the cabinet is lopsided, while I try to balance things, I also look for quality. If you look at the education sector, Commissioner for Education is a Muslim. SUBEB Chairman is a Muslim. Barrister Abdulraheem Abiodun, the chairman of Education Trust Fund, is a Muslim. I have nothing to hide.” He added, “They said the appointment of Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning is lopsided. It used to be Finance and Economic Planning but when we came in, we split it into two. And it is almost everything that is going on in Finance that is visible to someone doing Budget and Economic Planning. “Anything they want to bring to Exco, they will ask if it has been captured in the budget. If it is there, they will check how much has been spent and how much is remaining. He is the custodian and he is a Muslim. So, we have nothing to hide. “I will keep saying it that if people want to divide us along religious or political lines, we as leaders must resist that attempt and expose them. “So, I want to say that it is our state; some have come and gone and I will go too. Whatever we do for our state is what the successor will meet and continue from there. “I am begging you that we should resist their attempts, because there are people that will profit from our division. But if we don’t allow division, they will go elsewhere. “Day before yesterday, one of the Christian leaders said some people are bringing up the issue of Sharia Court again in Oyo State. And I said, for me in Oyo State, our laws and constitution is what I swore to uphold. If they are within the law, fine. But if they are not, they should expect that I will insist that the law must be followed. “So, I want to use this opportunity to say that if there are certain people using the issue to play politics, they should have a rethink and constantly stay on the side of the law.” Speaking on the Ibadan stampede incident, Governor Makinde assured that the law would take its due course to prevent future occurrence. “The incident at Islamic High School was avoidable and the loss of innocent lives was a sad one. Some of them would have been future leaders. Some are could have been future presidents but the dreams are dead. And then, I listened to people on social media who were saying that because I know Oriyomi Hamzat, justice won’t prevail. I said to myself that these people don’t probably know the kind of person their governor is. “When Prof. was talking, he said something about tempering justice with mercy. Yes, we will get to that but if my child was part of those that died, I would be saying something totally differently. And, no life is bigger than any other life, we are equal before God. “It is easier for people to say I know some certain people and they should be treated as such. What about the 35 innocent souls that died, don’t they also deserve justice? That was why early this year, I signed off the rule of law enforcement authority. We want our systems to be working like that of developed world. Rule is rule; law is law. But for us, we don’t want to do those things and they are impeding our progress. “Inasmuch as we’re are fair to everybody, it is fine. On my watch, whoever deserves justice will get it. And how do we ensure that this thing does not occur again? Those are the things we have to look into. “Finally, I will say that we are not infallible. We are all mortals. Wherever you think we have fallen short, call our attention to it and we will make correction. No matter how we try, we will still make mistakes.” Earlier in his speech, the Leader of the Muslim Community, Alhaji Sanni, expressed gratitude to the governor for the massive recruitment of teachers into the primary and secondary schools, describing the act as capable of lifting people from poverty to prosperity. He also commended the governor’s giant strides in developing the state through various infrastructure projects across the geopolitical zones of the state. Sanni urged the governor to employ more subject teachers and equally allow religious studies teachers to impact directly on the students in order to curb moral decadence among pupils and students in various schools. The event had in attendance the Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Barr. Abdulraheem Bayo Lawal; former deputy governor of Oyo State, Alhaji Hazeem Gbolarumi; wife of former governor of Oyo State, Chief Mrs Mutiat Ladoja; former Speaker of the House of Assembly, Senator Monsurat Sumonu; Chief of Staff to the Governor, Otunba Segun Ogunwuyi; and PDP South-West Woman Leader, Alhaja Bose Adedibu. Others were the Senior Executive Assistant to the Governor on General Duties, Chief Bayo Lawal; top government functionaries and the executive members of the Muslim Community, among others.
Modi's party heads for victory in Maharashtra state election while opposition wins JharkhandOppenheimer & Co. Inc. boosted its stake in VanEck BDC Income ETF ( NYSEARCA:BIZD – Free Report ) by 24.0% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 17,124 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 3,316 shares during the period. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.’s holdings in VanEck BDC Income ETF were worth $284,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Truist Financial Corp bought a new position in shares of VanEck BDC Income ETF in the 2nd quarter worth about $248,000. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in VanEck BDC Income ETF by 130.2% in the second quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 235,203 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,024,000 after purchasing an additional 133,044 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James & Associates lifted its stake in VanEck BDC Income ETF by 206.1% in the third quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 166,398 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,756,000 after buying an additional 112,039 shares during the period. Condor Capital Management lifted its position in shares of VanEck BDC Income ETF by 7.7% during the 2nd quarter. Condor Capital Management now owns 978,936 shares of the company’s stock valued at $16,750,000 after acquiring an additional 70,045 shares during the period. Finally, Harbour Investments Inc. lifted its position in shares of VanEck BDC Income ETF by 9.7% during the 2nd quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. now owns 28,052 shares of the company’s stock valued at $480,000 after acquiring an additional 2,483 shares during the period. VanEck BDC Income ETF Trading Up 1.1 % NYSEARCA:BIZD opened at $16.66 on Friday. VanEck BDC Income ETF has a 12 month low of $15.18 and a 12 month high of $17.43. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.42 and a beta of 0.58. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $16.34 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $16.57. VanEck BDC Income ETF Profile The VanEck BDC Income ETF (BIZD) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in financials equity. The fund tracks a market cap-weighted index of US BDC companies whose principal business is to invest in, lend capital to, or provide services to privately held companies. BIZD was launched on Feb 12, 2013 and is managed by VanEck. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BIZD? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for VanEck BDC Income ETF ( NYSEARCA:BIZD – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for VanEck BDC Income ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for VanEck BDC Income ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Adam McKay Says ‘Wicked’ Could Be ‘Banned in 3-5 Years’ if ‘America Keeps Going on the Track It Is’ and ‘I Wouldn’t Be Surprised’
I hope Santa Claus doesn’t have a fragile ego. If he does, Queen B is about to transform him into The Grinch, because the hype for ’s NFL Halftime Show performance on Christmas is reaching a level that’s threatening to overshadow St. Nick’s big day—especially now that a has been released. I’m sending you big joy and love on this Cowboy Christmas Eve ❤️ I’ll see y’all tomorrow, in my city HTX 🤟🏽🏈🪕🌵🎄 — BEYONCÉ (@Beyonce) Apparently there is a football game that will be bookending the Beyoncé concert: She will be performing during halftime of the Christmas Day showdown between the Baltimore Ravens and the Houston Texans, being played in her Texas hometown. Beyoncé has already dubbed the day “ ,” stoking anticipation that she will finally perform music from her recent country-tinged album, which was released in March. The Christmas Eve teaser also gave fans something rare that they’ve been salivating for since the album’s debut: visuals. The 36-second clip features a football rolling on a field to Beyoncé’s foot, as the camera pans up to reveal strumming the banjo to the opening bars of her hit, Grammy-nominated single, “Texas Hold ‘Em.” The Ravens-Texans game kicks off at 4:30 pm ET, with Beyoncé expected to perform around 6 pm ET. It’s the second of two football games streaming live on Netflix on Christmas. Given the streamer’s disastrous track record airing live events—the outrage over may have eclipsed the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson fight itself—the Beyhive is buzzing, ready with its stingers should any such snafu interrupt Beyoncé’s set. To wit, the singer made fun of that very possibility, with the last seconds of her teaser buffering before concluding with Beyoncé winking. wait this is actually so funny — hunter harris (@hunteryharris) The buffering gag is evil. Don’t jinx yourself, sis! — Michael. (@yosoymichael) the person in charge of netflix’s servers trying to make sure beyoncé’s christmas halftime show performance doesn’t buffer — wiLL (@willfulchaos) , Beyoncé’s mother, Tina Knowles, wrote that her daughter “put her heart and soul into this performance! Sleepless nights in Houston.” Fans online are speculating whether the halftime show will be followed by a surprise drop of visuals, the announcement of a world tour, or if it’s merely shrewd campaigning—the ceremony is in less than 40 days. One thing that is certain: the excitement. After all, Beyoncé is known for putting on a legendary halftime show. Even Ravens star quarterback —maybe—that he’s skipping the locker room meeting in order to see the Beyoncé perform. “I’m going to go out there and watch,” he told reporters on Monday. “First time seeing Beyoncé perform, and it’s at our game—that’s dope. I’m going to go out and watch. Sorry [head coach John] Harbaugh, sorry. Sorry fellas.”Marvel Rivals Storms the Charts: NetEase and Disney’s Superhero Smash Hit
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MVB Financial Corp. Declares Fourth Quarter 2024 DividendJet.AI has launched an agentic artificial intelligence (AI) model that helps customers select and book private jets. Dubbed “Ava,” the AI model can be contacted via phone or text and it provides real-time aircraft availability, pricing and guidance to help customers select the right jet for their journey, the private aviation and AI company said in a Tuesday (Dec. 24) press release . “The launch of our agentic AI model marks a new era in private jet booking, providing customers with a helpful solution while minimizing costs from our end,” Jet.AI Founder, Executive Chairman and Director Mike Winston said in the release. Together with the launch of the AI model, Jet.AI has made updates to its private jet booking app, CharterGPT, according to the release. The updates include enhanced push notifications that help customers stay up to date with changes to their travel reservations, and carbon tracking and offsetting that enables customers to make eco-conscious decisions, the release said. Another update is deep linking for trip sheets, in which Ava provides a link that opens the CharterGPT app and makes it easy for travelers to access the trip they discussed with the AI model, per the release. “Because of the high dollar price and unique aspects of private travel, we are committed to having a human in the loop,” Winston said in the release. “But the later in the booking process that happens, the better our productivity. In all our tests, Ava has been a champion, always poised, well informed and on point.” Agentic AI is positioned to take the capabilities of an automated software program to the next phase — a request-action architecture — by conducting business operations from start to finish without need for human intervention, PYMNTS reported in February. Intuit said in September that it will continue rolling out agentic AI capabilities throughout 2025. The company said that it will add these capabilities across its platforms and products — including Intuit TurboTax, Credit Karma, QuickBooks and Mailchimp — and that they will work on behalf of consumers and businesses while offering access to human tax and bookkeeping experts whenever needed. “Agentic AI represents a transformative leap in technology, with the potential to unlock unprecedented levels of efficiency for our customers, human experts and developers,” Intuit Chief Technology Officer Alex Balazs said in a Sept. 25 press release.MANAMA, Bahrain — Iran is poised to “quite dramatically” increase its stockpile of near weapons-grade uranium as it has started cascades of advanced centrifuges, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency warned Friday. The comments from Rafael Mariano Grossi came just hours after Iran said it conducted a successful space launch with its heaviest payload ever, the latest for its program that the West alleges improves Tehran’s ballistic missile program. The launch of the Simorgh rocket comes as Iran’s nuclear program now enriches uranium at 60%, a short, technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90%. While Iran maintains its program is peaceful, officials in the Islamic Republic increasingly threaten to potentially seek the bomb and an intercontinental ballistic missile that would allow Tehran to use the weapon against distant foes like the United States. The moves are likely to further raise tensions gripping the wider Middle East over Israel’s continued war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip and as an uneasy ceasefire holds in Lebanon. However, Iran may as well be preparing the ground for possible talks with the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump, who in his first term unilaterally withdrew America from Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers. Grossi, speaking to journalists in Bahrain, on the sidelines of the International Institute of Strategic Studies’ Manama Dialogue, said his inspectors planned to see just how many centrifuges Iran would be spinning after Tehran informed his agency of its plans. Get the latest breaking news as it happens. By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy . “I think it is very concerning,” Grossi said. “They were preparing and they have all of these facilities sort of in abeyance and now they are activating that. So we are going to see.” He added: “If they really make them turn — all of them — it's going to be a huge jump.” An IAEA statement issued shortly after Grossi's remarks said Iran had begun feeding two cascades of advanced IR-6 centrifuges with uranium previously enriched up to 20% at its underground Fordo facility. That site is located under a mountain, protecting it from airstrikes. Cascades are a group of centrifuges that spin uranium gas together to more quickly enrich the uranium. The IR-6 centrifuges enrich uranium faster than Iran’s baseline IR-1 centrifuges, which have been the workhorse of the country’s atomic program. Adding 20% uranium, as opposed to 5% uranium previously planned, further speeds up that process. “The facility’s updated design information showed that the effect of this change would be to significantly increase the rate of production,” the IAEA statement said. Iran separately will start feeding natural uranium into eight other IR-6 cascades at Fordo as well to produce 5%-enriched uranium, it added. The IAEA warned in late November that Iran was preparing to begin enriching uranium with thousands of advanced centrifuges. That came as a response to the Board of Governors at the IAEA condemning Iran for failing to cooperate fully with the agency. Iran did not immediately acknowledge the preparations. The Iranian mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Meanwhile, the launch Friday took place at Iran’s Imam Khomeini Spaceport in rural Semnan province, some 135 miles. That is the site of Iran’s civilian space program, which has suffered a series of failed Simorgh launches in the past. The Simorgh carried what Iran described as an “orbital propulsion system,” as well as two research systems to a 250-mile orbit above the Earth. A system that could change the orbit of a spacecraft would allow Iran to geo-synchronize the orbits of its satellites, a capability Tehran has long sought. It also carried the Fakhr-1 satellite for Iran’s military, the first time Iran’s civilian program is known to have carried a military payload. Iran also put the payload of the Simorgh at 660 pounds, heavier than all its previous successful launches within the country. State television carried footage of a correspondent discussing the payload just as the Simorgh lifted off into the sky, as people called out: “God is the greatest!” The U.S. military referred questions about the launch to the country’s Space Command, which did not respond. Space experts said tracking data appeared to show the launch successfully put objects in orbit. The United States has previously said Iran’s satellite launches defy a United Nations Security Council resolution and called on Tehran to undertake no activity involving ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons. U.N. sanctions related to Iran’s ballistic missile program expired in October 2023. “Iran’s work on space-launch vehicles — including its Simorgh — probably would shorten the timeline to produce an intercontinental ballistic missile, if it decided to develop one, because the systems use similar technologies,” a U.S. intelligence community report released in July said. Iran has always denied seeking nuclear weapons and says its space program, like its nuclear activities, is for purely civilian purposes. However, U.S. intelligence agencies and the IAEA say Iran had an organized military nuclear program up until 2003. Under Iran’s relatively moderate former President Hassan Rouhani, the Islamic Republic slowed its space program for fear of raising tensions with the West. The late hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi, a protégé of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who came to power in 2021, pushed the program forward. Raisi died in a helicopter crash in May. Iran’s reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian, who has been signaling he wants to negotiate with the West over sanctions, has yet to offer a strategy when it comes to Iran’s ambitions in space. The Simorgh launch represented the first for his administration from the country’s civil space program. Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard conducted a successful launch of its parallel program in September.
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