IN BRIEF (Page 11)

Iran

Leader touts good nuclear deal

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani gave a vigorous defense of nuclear negotiations to a crowd on Sunday, pledging to reach a deal that would lift the hardship of sanctions as the talks enter their final weeks. Speaking at a televised rally in the northeastern city of Bojnord, to mark the second anniversary of his 2013 election victory, Rouhani used sweeping rhetoric to play up the benefits of easing Iran's long international isolation.