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IAEA's new chief

Friday, July 03, 2009 VIENNA The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has elected a Japanese diplomat to replace outgoing Director-General Mohamed ElBaradei. The new chief faces a tough tenure, with challenges ranging from North Korea to Iran and Syria. After failing to agree on a new head earlier this year, the 35-nation board of the International Atomic Energy Agency selected Yukiya Amano of Japan to succeed current chief Mohamed ElBaradei of Egypt who steps down in November.During a board meeting in Vienna, Amano was elected after six rounds of voting that pitted him against Abdul Samad Minty of South Africa in a ballot that roughly reflected divisions between developed and developing nations. The final vote was 23 to 11, with one abstention.

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