US nuclear envoy Christopher Hill ended a surprise trip to North Korea today, amid optimism that the visit heralded renewed progress in international efforts to denuclearise the communist country.

IRAN has expanded its uranium enrichment programme instead of complying with a UN Security Council ultimatum to freeze it, the UN nuclear watchdog agency said yesterday.

France tonight urged a firm, unified response to the UN nuclear watchdog’s findings that Iran has again defied international demands to suspend uranium enrichment.

Tehran’s chief nuclear negotiator and the head of the UN nuclear watchdog agency planned to meet today, just hours before the agency was scheduled to issue recommendations on withdrawing technical aid for some nuclear projects run by Iran.

Russia’s foreign minister today urged Iran to show good will in resolving the dispute over its controversial nuclear programme, as a senior Iranian envoy held talks in Moscow.

The head of the UN nuclear watchdog agency said today that sanctions alone would not resolve the stand-off over North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme.

Most participants at a key 35-nation meeting of the UN nuclear watchdog agency have agreed to deny Iran technical aid for its plutonium producing reactor, diplomats at the gathering said today.

Iran’s deputy nuclear chief today said Iran intended to move toward large-scale uranium enrichment involving 54,000 centrifuges, signalling the country’s resolve to expand a programme the United Nations has demanded it halt.

Iran today rejected as “unjust” a decision by the UN nuclear watchdog agency to refer its nuclear programme file to the UN Security Council.

The head of the UN nuclear watchdog agency says a deal on Iran’s suspect nuclear programme could be only a few days away, making Security Council action unnecessary.

Iran’s top nuclear negotiator has said in Moscow that Tehran will hold nuclear talks with the European Union before March 6, prior to a meeting of the UN nuclear watchdog.

The UN nuclear watchdog agency today referred Iran to the UN Security Council over suspicions it might want nuclear arms.

The UN nuclear watchdog agency has referred Iran to the UN Security Council.

Iran has given the International Atomic Energy Agency sensitive documents that appear linked to nuclear warhead designs – the latest attempt by Tehran to stave off being reported to the UN Security Council, diplomats divulged today.

EUROPEAN powers yesterday began drafting a resolution to have Iran referred to the UN Security Council next month over its contentious nuclear work, diplomats said, after Russia and the West neared agreement on strategy.

Israel’s armed forces chief today said Iran was playing a dangerous game with its continuing march toward nuclear development, but it was not Israel’s place to take action.

THE West cannot push Iran around as it has Libya and Iraq, a former Iranian president said yesterday.

THE UN nuclear watchdog agency said yesterday it was seriously concerned over Iran's resumption of uranium conversion but fell short of reporting it to the UN Security Council.

The UN nuclear watchdog agency’s 35-nation board adopted a resolution Thursday expressing “serious concern” over Iran’s decision this week to resume uranium conversion – a process that some fear could be used to help build a bomb.

Diplomats at the UN nuclear watchdog agency were debating a draft resolution today that expressed “serious concern” over Iran’s resumption of uranium conversion but left open the possibility of more talks on the crisis.

The UN nuclear watchdog agency confirmed that its seals at an Iranian nuclear facility were broken today, as it postponed a meeting so diplomats could seek consensus over how to rebuke Iran for resuming activities that could lead to an atomic weapon.

Iran has told the UN nuclear watchdog agency it plans to resume some nuclear activities, an agency spokesman said today.

Iran avoided sanctions in a sharply-worded resolution approved today by the UN nuclear watchdog agency today, but was censured for past cover-ups.

The UN nuclear watchdog said yesterday it had begun inspections of Libya’s nuclear facilities and visited four sites near the capital for the first time.

IRAN will scale back its cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog in response to the agency’s October 31 deadline for Tehran to prove its atomic programmes are peaceful, Iran’s representative to the agency has said.

AS the world waits for UN weapons inspectors to report to the Security Council today, the United States said it was willing to go it alone to topple Saddam Hussein.