Venezuela: US officials get access to American

Published May 09, 2013

Associated Press

CARACAS, Venezuela –  Venezuela's government has granted U.S. diplomats access to a California man who is being held while he awaits trial on charges of espionage and fomenting unrest.

An Embassy spokesperson said Thursday that officials have been permitted to meet with Timothy Tracy, who was arrested by intelligence agents following Venezuela's April 14 presidential election.

The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because Embassy personnel are not authorized to discuss Tracy's case.

Tracy's relatives say the filmmaker had been making a documentary about Venezuelan politics for six months before his was arrested.

The Embassy spokesperson said no additional details of Tracy's arrest or status could be discussed due to privacy considerations.

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UN chief urges Syrian access for UN chemical team

Published April 26, 2013

Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS –  Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is urging Syria to give U.N. experts "immediate and unfettered access" to investigate serious allegations of chemical weapons use.

U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky said Friday that U.N. disarmament chief Angela Kane wrote another letter to Syrian authorities on Thursday urging the government to grant access to the U.N. chemical weapons experts without conditions.

Ban appointed a team of chemical weapons experts to investigate allegations of chemical weapons use in Khan al-Assal in Aleppo, and in Homs, where he received the most evidence. But Syria has only given permission for the experts to visit Khan al-Assal.

Nesirky said Ban has asked the head of the Syrian chemical weapons investigation team, Ake Sellstrom, to visit New York for consultations Monday. The experts have not yet been in Syria.

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