IN BRIEF (Page 11)

Syria

Timely chemical plan submission

Syria has handed over a detailed plan to destroy its chemical stockpile on time, international watchdog OPCW said on Sunday. "On Oct 24, 2013, the Syrian Arab Republic submitted to the OPCW its formal initial declaration covering its chemical weapons program," the watchdog said in a statement, adding that Damascus had had until Sunday to do so. Damascus was required to submit the destruction plan under a US-Russian deal agreed last month that headed off military strikes on Syria.

Iran

Uranium facility won't be closed

Iran will not shut down an underground bunker at the Fordow uranium enrichment facility, a senior Iranian lawmaker was quoted as saying by Press TV on Sunday. "Fordow is one of Iran's redlines and will definitely not be closed," said the Chairman of Iran Majlis (parliament) National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, Alaeddin Boroujerdi.

Anti-American posters removed

Teheran city officials have ordered the removal of some posters featuring anti-American slogans, a sign that Iran is seeking better relations with the United States as the two sides hold talks over its nuclear program. A Teheran municipal official said some anti-American billboards had been put up illegally and that the city had taken them down, state news agency IRNA said on Saturday.

Georgia

Election amid uncertainty

Georgia voted for a new president on Sunday in an election that will bring the curtain down on Mikheil Saakashvili's decadelong rule but is unlikely to end political uncertainty in the former Soviet republic. The front-runner to replace Saakashvili, a pro-Western leader who has served the maximum two terms, is Georgy Margvelashvili, a member of the Georgian Dream coalition.

Uae

Investment deal with Egypt

The United Arab Emirates Deputy Minister of Defense and crown prince of Abu Dhabi Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Egypt's Prime Minister Hazem al-Beblawi agreed in Abu Dhabi that the Gulf state would invest $4.9 billion to support development projects in Egypt.

Xinhua-Reuters-AFP

(China Daily 10/28/2013 page11)