political news

An Iranian nuclear scientist who claims he was abducted by CIA agents last year and taken to the US is on his way back to Tehran, Iran says.

On Monday evening Mr Amiri arrived at the Iranian Interests section of the Pakistani embassy in Washington, which handles Iranian affairs in the US capital, and asked to be repatriated.

While he was he was at the embassy he recorded an interview with a Danish commercial television production company, Atlantic Television News. The company said they did not pay money for this interview.

Mr Amiri claimed that he was kidnapped while on a pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia and was later "psychologically tortured" by the US.

The US state department has insisted he was in the US of his own free will.

A Swiss artist claims he has set a new world record for the longest tightrope walk across a stretch of water after walking 900 metres over Lake Zurich.

Hundreds of onlookers watched as Freddy Nock, who performs for a circus, fought the wind at a height of 30 metres.

The crossing took two hours and was achieved without the use of any safety equipment.

The measures, which penalise foreign companies that trade with Iran, were overwhelmingly approved by US Congress last week.

Mr Obama said the sanctions would strike "at the heart" of Iran's ability to fund and develop nuclear programmes.

Iran says its nuclear industry is for peaceful purposes; the West disagrees.

The bill targets those firms that supply Iran's Revolutionary Guards or contribute to the country's energy industry, including foreign companies that provide finance, insurance, or shipping services.

"There should be no doubt - the United States and the international community are determined to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons."

Mr Obama noted that Iran had rejected the offer of dialogue and engagement he had made on taking office last year.

"To date, Iran has chosen the path of defiance," he said. "That is why we have steadily built a broader and deeper coalition of nations to pressure the Iranian government."

Tehran denies seeking to acquire nuclear weapons.

Last month, the UN Security Council voted to impose a fourth round of sanctions on Tehran for failing to halt its nuclear enrichment programme.

They include tighter finance curbs and an expanded arms embargo, but not the crippling sanctions the US had wanted.

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad dismissed those sanctions as a "used handkerchief" fit for the dustbin.

Three earlier rounds of UN sanctions have blocked trade of "sensitive nuclear material", frozen the financial assets of those involved in Iran's nuclear activities, banned all of Iran's arms exports and encouraged scrutiny of the dealings of Iranian banks.

The US Congress has overwhelmingly approved new sanctions against foreign companies that trade with Iran, over its nuclear programme.

Those firms that supply Iran's Revolutionary Guards or contribute to the country's energy industry are targeted by the bill.

The sanctions are designed to put pressure on Tehran which denies seeking to acquire nuclear weapons.

The bill now goes back to President Barack Obama to be signed into law.

The Senate and House of Representatives acted in quick succession on Thursday to agree to the new penalties. The Senate vote was 99-0 and the House vote was 408-8.

Iran says its nuclear industry is for peaceful purposes.

"We must stop Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, a weapon that would surely threaten the national security of the United States and of Israel," said Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

Republican Senator John McCain said: "We will be posing a choice to companies around the world: Do you want to do business with Iran? Or do you want to business with the United States?

"We don't think that is much of a choice, but we will force companies to make it. They can't have it both ways."

Earlier this month, the UN Security Council voted to impose a fourth round of sanctions on Tehran for failing to halt its nuclear enrichment programme.

They include tighter finance curbs and an expanded arms embargo, but not the crippling sanctions the US had wanted.

Three earlier rounds of UN sanctions have blocked trade of "sensitive nuclear material", frozen the financial assets of those involved in Iran's nuclear activities, banned all of Iran's arms exports and encouraged scrutiny of the dealings of Iranian banks.