OTTAWA - Canada is once again temporarily turning its back on the United Nations Conference on Disarmament over its selection of a controversial president. Iran take its turn at the helm of the organization later in May, prompting Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird to announce Tuesday that Canada will sit out the sessions during their term. Giving Iran the position, even if it is only temporary, makes a mockery of disarmament issues, said Baird spokesman Rick Roth.

By Stephanie Nebehay GENEVA (Reuters) - The United States said on Friday that Iran and North Korea were trying to obtain high-tech materials linked to their nuclear programs in violation of U.N. sanctions. Iran was also sending weapons and ammunition to Syrian government forces despite a ban, said Thomas Countryman, Assistant Secretary for International Security and Nonproliferation.

The United States still hopes a conference aimed at creating a nuclear weapons-free zone in the Middle East can take place soon, a high-level US official said Friday, urging regional players to cooperate. "I think it could be very soon, if the will exists among the regional parties to engage with each other and to respect each others' needs," said Thomas Countryman, US assistant secretary of international security and nonproliferation. He was speaking to reporters in Geneva following a preparatory meeting for the 2015 review conference of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

VIENNA (Reuters) - The U.N. nuclear watchdog said on Tuesday it will hold a new meeting with Iran on May 15 aimed at enabling its inspectors to resume a stalled investigation into suspected nuclear bomb research by the Islamic state. The International Atomic Energy Agency has been trying for more than a year to coax Iran into granting IAEA officials the access to sites, documents and officials they want for their inquiry. Tehran says its nuclear programme is entirely peaceful.