TEHERAN (ANP/AFP) - Volgens Iraanse staatsmedia duurden de eerste gesprekken tussen de Verenigde Staten en Iran tachtig minuten en is het Iraanse kernprogramma nog niet aan de orde gekomen. Delegaties van de VS en Iran zijn in Zwitserland bijeen om met bemiddeling van Pakistan en Qatar een onlangs overeengekomen 'memorandum van overeenstemming' uit te werken in een definitief vredesakkoord.

"Er hebben geen onderhandelingen plaatsgevonden over het Iraanse kernprogramma tijdens de eerste gespreksronde, die tachtig minuten duurde", aldus de staatsomroep. De zender voegde eraan toe dat de nadruk van de gesprekken over de uitvoering van het memorandum lag op de situatie in Libanon.

Van jongs af aan wil Brandon Bandz uit Rotterdam-West showworstelaar worden. Dit jaar beleeft hij een hoogtepunt doordat hij een uitnodiging krijgt voor een trainingskamp van de World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), de organisatie waar Hulk Hogan groot is geworden. ‘Ooit zal ik de in de Verenigde Staten worstelen, want ik heb geen plan B.”

Van jongs af aan wil Brandon Bandz uit Rotterdam-West showworstelaar worden. Dit jaar beleeft hij een hoogtepunt doordat hij een uitnodiging krijgt voor een trainingskamp van de World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), de organisatie waar Hulk Hogan groot is geworden. ‘Ooit zal ik de in de Verenigde Staten worstelen, want ik heb geen plan B.”

Rocketing violence and an economic chokehold have been overshadowed by conflict elsewhere, but the UK and others must stop looking away

The “ceasefire” in Gaza is a “cruel and deadly illusion”, warned James Elder, the Unicef spokesman, on Friday. Israeli forces have killed more than 1,000 Palestinians since its declaration in October, says the Gaza health ministry, including 265 children – an average of one a day.

The killings and broader humanitarian crisis have been overshadowed by the war on Iran and have diverted attention from escalating violence in the occupied West Bank. Last week, former Israeli prime ministers, military chiefs and heads of security services were among the signatories of a letter accusing its government of “doing nothing to eradicate Jewish terror” there. Ehud Olmert, one of the former prime ministers, accused Israel of “an organized, systematic, state-funded campaign of ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity”, with security forces assisting settler violence. Meanwhile, the army chief has reportedly described troops “killing like we haven’t killed since 1967”.

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The UN is set to review the legal status of nicotine. An outright ban would go too far, but there is no case for its easy availability

The health case for banning cigarettes is ironclad. As the then head of the World Health Organization, Gro Harlem Brundtland, put it in 2000, “a cigarette is the only consumer product which when used as directed kills its consumer”. Smoking is still the leading cause of preventable death worldwide. Many countries, including the UK, have taken strong measures to restrict and even ban cigarettes and other tobacco products. Over the past two decades, however, tobacco-free nicotine products such as vapes and nicotine pouches, which use a synthetic version of the addictive ingredient, have exploded in popularity.

Regulation has been slow. The nation of Palau has now tasked the WHO expert committee on drug dependence with reviewing nicotine, which will lead to a UN vote – likely to be in 2028 – on banning it worldwide. The case relies partly on deciding whether addiction and dependence themselves – in the absence of other major health consequences – are harmful. There is certainly an argument for that, and smoking taught us that it is often better to stamp out highly addictive habits if consequences may become obvious later. But there is also reason for caution.

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Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons say Milan fashion week collection demonstrates rejection of ‘useless design’

Speaking backstage before the Prada show at Milan fashion week on Sunday, the co-designers Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons described their latest collection as “breaking the perception of what is perceived as typical luxury in high fashion right now”.

This was a purified version of Prada. The design duo called it a “rejection of experimental shapes, techniques and decoration” distilling the collection to pieces that are “intentional and meaningful”.

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De Nederlandse krijgsmacht en de groeiende defensie-industrie trekken elke dag waardevolle Oekraïense lessen uit de oorlog.

Daft Punk

Thomas Hawk posted a photo:

Thomas Hawk posted a photo:

52eme Festival International du Film Cannes 99