Japanese Diplomat Elected U.N. Nuclear Chief

From the New York Times:

A Japanese diplomat who favors a strict approach toward Iran was elected to lead the International Atomic Energy Agency on Thursday, narrowly edging out a South African diplomat for the post, an official at the agency said.

Update - 4pm:

Israel's favored IAEA candidate elected

The 35-nation board of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) appointed Japanese diplomat Yukiya Amano as its new head Thursday afternoon.

Israel privately heaved a sigh of relief at the election of Amano to replace Mohammed ElBaradei as head of the agency.

The relief was both because the tenure of ElBaradei, with whom Israel has had a rocky relationship, is about to end, and also because Amano beat out South Africa's candidate Abdul Samad Minty.

While officially Israel had no comment on the development, privately government sources said that Amano was Israel's preferred candidate.