New UN nuke watchdog chief to assume office by Jan 1

Vienna, Aug 1 (IANS) The UN nuclear watchdog IAEA announced on Thursday that a new chief is expected to assume office by January 1, 2020.The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors convened at the agency's headquarters here on Thursday to discuss appointment of a new Director-General following the sudden death in July of Yukiya Amano, a Japanese diplomat who had been in the office since 2009.The IAEA would receive nominations by September 5, with the new Director-General expected to be appointed in October 2019 and assume office no later than January 1, 2020, the agency said on Twitter.According to IAEA rules and procedures, decisions of the Board on appointing a new Director General have to be made by a two-thirds majority of the members' voting.At present Romanian diplomat Cornel Feruta serves as acting Director General until a new chief is chosen.
--IANS soni/