FirstUp: Iran-US to hold nuclear talks, verdict in Kim Kardashian 2016 burglary case... The headlines

It is set to be a busy Friday with several events lined up for the day.

Firstly, officials from Iran and the United States are set to meet in Rome for the fifth round of talks on the nuclear deal. Meanwhile, the verdict in the 2016 Kim Kardashian burglary case is expected today. Singapore’s newly elected Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and his cabinet of ministers are set to be sworn in today.

In India, PM Modi will inaugurate the two-day Rising Northeast Investors Summit in Assam. The airspace over the Andaman Sea will remain partly closed, likely for missile testing.

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A Paris court will deliver the verdict in Kim Kardashian jewelry heist trial Despite bumps on the road, 5th round of US-Iran nuclear talks set for Friday in Rome

Here is all that is set to take place throughout the day.

Iran-US nuclear talks in Rome

Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi stated that officials from Iran and the United States are scheduled to conduct an additional round of indirect nuclear talks in Rome in connection today, even amidst the widening disparity between the two nations regarding uranium enrichment.

Wednesday’s confirmation that the nuclear negotiations would continue comes after days of Washington and Tehran expressing irreconcilable positions on Iranian uranium enrichment, reported news website Al Jazeera.

The United States has articulated its objective for Iran to not merely diminish its nuclear program but to discontinue all uranium enrichment activities, a stance that Tehran has unequivocally declared to be unacceptable.

Verdict in the Kim Kardashian 2016 burglary case

The verdict in the 2016 Kim Kardashian burglary case is expected in be given today. The trial, which began in April this year, featured emotional testimony from Kardashian, who recounted the traumatic experience of being bound and held at gunpoint in her Paris hotel room during Fashion Week in October 2016.

She described fearing for her life as masked assailants stole over $10 million worth of jewellery. Despite the trauma, Kardashian expressed forgiveness towards the defendants, stating, “This is my closure,” during her testimony. The case garnered significant media attention, not only due to Kardashian’s celebrity status but also because of the nature of the crime and the age of the defendants, who ranged from 35 to 78 years old.

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Singapore’s Lawrence Wong and Cabinet to be sworn in

Singapore’s Prime Minister-elect Lawrence Wong along with his cabinet will take oath today. Earlier on Wednesday, he unveiled his cabinet, retaining his post as finance minister and appointing an ex-army general as defence chief.

Wong became only the second non-member of the influential Lee family to lead Singapore in nearly 60 years when he brought the People’s Action Party (PAP) to a landslide victory on May 3. Former army chief and major general Chan Chun Sing was named defence minister to replace Ng Eng Hen, who retired.

Vivian Balakrishnan remained as foreign minister. K Shanmugam took on a new role as coordinating minister for national security, in addition to remaining home affairs minister.

PM Modi to inaugurate Rising Northeast Investors Summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate a two-day Rising Northeast Investors Summit today that will showcase the investment potentials in the northeastern states and opportunities to access the captive markets in the region.

The “Rising Northeast Investor Summit”, to be held here on May 23 and 24, will see the participation of chief ministers from all northeastern states, Union ministers, top bureaucrats, foreign diplomats and more than 2,000 delegates, policy-makers, industry leaders and investors, among others, officials said. They will participate in discussions across nine-plus priority sectors such as agriculture, food processing, textiles, tourism, entertainment, education, healthcare, IT and energy.

Airspace over Andaman Sea to remain closed

The Indian airspace over the Andaman Sea will remain closed on May 23 and 24. On both days the airspace will remain closed for three hours during which no civilian aircraft will be allowed to use the specified airspace at any altitude, as per a recent Notice to Airmen (Notam) issued by the Indian authorities.

A review of prior Notams issued for military exercises and weapons tests reveals that while many detailed the specific nature of the activity, a few remained non-specific. Nevertheless, the location and certain particulars of the current NOTAM could be interpreted as signalling a missile or weapons system test.