Briefly

IRAN

Rouhani says audio leak sought to sow 'discord'

President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday that the leak of an audio recording of his foreign minister sought to sow domestic "discord "during talks aimed at reviving a nuclear deal. The comments by top diplomat Mohammad Javad Zarif, in which he said the military was too influential in diplomacy, were leaked as Iran and world powers are engaged in talks in Vienna on reviving a 2015 nuclear accord. "Stealing a document, a tape, it is something that has to be investigated. Why (was it leaked) at this time?" Rouhani said. "It was published right when the Vienna (talks) were at the height of their success, so that it creates discord inside" Iran, he said. "We can only lift sanctions through unity".

JAPAN

Widow arrested over death of 'Don Juan'

The young widow of an aging Japanese real estate mogul was arrested on Wednesday on suspicion of murdering the self-described "Don Juan "just months into their marriage, local media said, citing police sources. Kosuke Nozaki, who boasted in his autobiography of spending millions of dollars on young, beautiful women, died in 2018 of acute poisoning aged 77. His widow Saki Sudo, now 25, allegedly killed Nozaki by making him take a large amount of an unspecified stimulant. Some reports said it had been mixed into a drink. Nozaki ran a real estate business, liquor sales company and money-lending enterprise.

Agencies via Xinhua