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A6 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 19 November 2020

U.S. shows off its star-studded Expo 2020 pavillion in Dubai

By JON GAMBRELL "The United States is a melt-
Associated Press ing pot of cultures from all
DUBAI, United Arab Emir- over the world, and there's
ates (AP) — The U.S. showed always going to be ten-
off a literally star-studded sion," Rakolta said "The
pavilion on Wednesday strength of America is after
for Dubai's upcoming Expo a hard-fought election to
2020, complete with a rep- come back together to the
lica SpaceX rocket body middle and to be able to
beside it. bridge some of the differ-
Two fog machines swirled ences that we have."
smoke around the replica, Rakolta, a Republican ap-
trying to lend the impres- pointed by Trump, added:
sion it just landed at the still "You only agree with about
under-construction Expo 80% of what even your own
site in Dubai's southern des- party might have to offer."
ert. But what will be a ma- The pandemic also re-
jor draw at this world's fair mained at the front of
remains in question as the people's minds as attend-
world struggles through the ees all wore government-
coronavirus pandemic and mandate face masks and
global air travel, a key in- hand sanitizers stood at
dustry for Dubai, struggles the ready. Rakolta said the
to take off. U.S. Ambassador John Rakolta talks in front of replica of the SpaceX Falcon 9, during the U.S.A American pavilion's con-
Dubai's Expo 2020, or world's Pavilion handover ceremony at the Dubai Expo 2020, United Arab Emirates, Wednesday, Nov. 18, struction had so far avoid-
fair, represents a $7 billion 2020. ed seeing a worker con-
bet by this sheikhdom in the Associated Press tract the coronavirus.
United Arab Emirates that larly the U.S. America strug- edly praise the Emirati gov- experience" of America It remains unclear what the
the event will boost tourism gled to come up with fund- ernment for its donation, with moon rocks, a Mars effect of the virus across the
and business interest. The ing for their pavilion and without offering a figure for rover and Thomas Jeffer- wider Expo construction
pandemic forced organiz- ended up relying on what the final cost. Asked if that son's Quran, Rakolta said. site has been. Expo 2020 of-
ers to delay the start of the it called "the generosity of Emirati donation would in- What an American experi- fered no officials to speak
event by a year to Oct. 1, the Emirati government" fluence what the U.S. dis- ence means also could be to reporters invited for the
2021 — putting even more to cover its estimated $60 played, Rakolta called the open to interpretation for a visit. Officials from Expo
pressure on the expo to turn million cost. The pavilion's UAE "open" and "inclusive." Middle East audience, par- also tried to have journalists
around Dubai's economy, exterior appeared finished "They've encouraged us to ticularly after years of travel sign forms that implied they
which had been struggled Wednesday, but its interior reach for the stars," Rakolta bans targeting predomi- could face criminal pros-
even before the virus. remained a worksite. said. nantly Muslim nations and ecution for not following
That extra time came in John Rakolta, the U.S. The 3,344 square-meter tensions with Iran under the their orders and refused to
handy for countries partici- ambassador to the UAE, (36,000 square-foot) pavil- current Trump administra- allow filming of workers on
pating in the event, particu- made a point to repeat- ion will include a "24-minute tion. the site.q
U.N. atomic watchdog: Iran now operating Natanz centrifuges

Atomic Energy Agency, tial document distributed to pull America out of the
told reporters in Vienna to member countries and deal.
that the 174 centrifuges seen by The Associated The deal promised Iran
had been moved into a Press last week, Iran as of economic incentives in ex-
new area of the Natanz nu- Nov. 2 had a stockpile of change for the curbs on
clear site and had recently 2,442.9 kilograms (5,385.7 its nuclear program. Since
begun operating. pounds) of low-enriched the U.S. withdrawal and im-
He said that operation of uranium. That is up from position of new sanctions,
centrifuges of that type 2,105.4 kilograms (4,641.6 Tehran has been putting
was in violation of the nu- pounds) reported on Aug. pressure on the remaining
clear deal Iran had signed 25. parties with the violations
with world powers in 2015 The nuclear deal signed by to come up with new ways
— known as the Joint Com- the United States, Germa- to offset the economy-crip-
prehensive Plan of Action, ny, France, Britain, China pling actions by Washing-
or JCPOA — but would not and Russia allows Iran only ton.
Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency lead to a greater overall to keep a stockpile of 202.8 At the same time, the Irani-
(IAEA), Rafael Mariano Grossi, speaks during a press conference output of enriched urani- kilograms (447 pounds). an government has contin-
during an IAEA Board of Governors meeting at the IAEA um. Iran has also been continu- ued to allow IAEA inspec-
headquarters of the UN in Vienna, Austria, Nov. 18, 2020. Iran is already far past the ing to enrich uranium to a tors access to its nuclear
Associated Press deal's limits on enriched purity of up to 4.5%, higher facilities — one of the main
By DAVID RISING underground site, but said uranium, he noted. than the 3.67% allowed un- reasons the other signa-
Associated Press they had been moved "It is already beyond the der the deal, the IAEA has tories to the deal say it is
BERLIN (AP) — The head from another facility so the limits of the JCPOA but in said. worth preserving.
of the U.N. atomic watch- country's overall uranium- general terms there is no Iran has openly announced The deal was meant to
dog agency confirmed on enriching capabilities have significant increase in the all its violations of the nu- prevent Iran from building
Wednesday reports that not increased. volumes," Grossi said. "So it's clear deal in advance, a nuclear weapon, some-
Iran has begun operating Rafael Grossi, director- a nuance." following President Don- thing the country insists it
centrifuges installed at an general of the International According to a confiden- ald Trump's 2018 decision does not intend to do.q