No nuclear arms work in Iran, US intel says

US Intelligence officials have said that Iran seems “less determined” to make nuclear weapons after an intelligence estimate concluded that Iran had halted the weapons program in 2003.

Read the National Intelligence Estimate’s report.

From the New York Times:

The new report comes out just over five years after a deeply flawed N.I.E. concluded that Iraq possessed chemical and biological weapons programs and was determined to restart its nuclear program. The report led to congressional authorization for a military invasion of Iraq, although most of the N.I.E.’s conclusions turned out to be wrong. The estimate does say that Iran’s ultimate goal is still to develop the capability to produce a nuclear weapon.

Sorry Bush and Cheney, no World War III anytime soon! If the NIE got it right this time.

Hugo Chavez defeated over reform vote

From BBC News:

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has narrowly lost a referendum on controversial constitutional changes.

Voters rejected the sweeping reforms by a margin of 51% to 49%, the chief of the National Electoral Council said. Mr Chavez described the defeat as a “photo finish”, and urged followers not to turn it into a point of conflict.

Correspondents say the opposition could barely hide their delight and that the victory will put the brakes on Mr Chavez’s “Socialist revolution”.

Read Chavez’s reform here.