Author: News Desk

United States: The United States has announced that it will stop exchanging detailed data on its nuclear weapons stockpiles, calling the move a response to Russia’s suspension of participation in the New START nuclear arms treaty. According to reports, the US and Russia hold nearly 90 percent of the world’s nuclear warheads. The New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) limits the number of strategic nuclear warheads countries deploy. “Russia has not been in full compliance and has refused to share data, which we agreed in New START to share biannually,” Mr. John Kirby, the US National Security Council spokesperson, told…

Switzerland: The World Health Organisation (WHO) has stated that it no longer recommends additional COVID-19 vaccine booster doses for regular, medium-risk adults as the benefit is marginal. According to the WHO’s vaccine experts, for people who have received their primary vaccination course and one booster dose, there is no risk in having further jabs. The UN health agency’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) issued updated recommendations after its regular biannual meeting. The new announcement reflects the impact of the dominant Omicron variant of the virus and the high  level of immunity achieved in the population through infection…

London, UK: There are concerns that Afghan refugees in the UK may lose their homes as a result of deadlines to leave hotels and offers of alternative housing. After leaving the Taliban’s control in August 2021, there are over 9,000 Afghans residing in hotels in the UK. Ms. Peymana Assad, a Labour councillor from Harrow in north-west London who is of Afghan descent and who has worked closely with Afghan refugees in hotels, claimed that it was the government, not the refugees, who were to blame for people being stuck in hotels. The announcement is related to, but distinct from,…

North Korea: North Korea’s leader Mr. Kim Jong Un has urged his nation’s experts to increase the production of “weapon-grade nuclear materials” and develop more potent weapons. Mr. Kim’s most recent phone conversations occurred before a United States Navy carrier strike group was slated to land in South Korea, reiterating an earlier pledge to increase nuclear weapons production “exponentially.” In a briefing with representatives from his nuclear weapons institute, Kim reportedly stressed that North Korea should be ready to use its nuclear weapons “anytime and anywhere,” according to the official Korean Central News Agency of North Korea. Mr. Kim recently…

China: A new study has found that tiny glass beads strewn across the moon’s surface contain potentially billions of tonnes of water that could be extracted and used by astronauts on future lunar missions. The discovery is thought to be one of the most important breakthroughs yet for space agencies that have set their sights on building bases on the moon, as it means there could be a highly accessible source of not only water but also hydrogen and oxygen. “This is one of the most exciting discoveries we’ve made. With this finding, the potential for exploring the moon in…

Ukraine: The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has met with the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to discuss the safety at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station. According to Mr. Zelenskiyy, the facility’s safety could not be guaranteed while it was occupied by Russian forces, as part of what he described as Moscow’s “radiation blackmail.” The President met IAEA Director-General Mr. Rafael Grossi in the city of Zaporizhzhia, which is located in Ukrainian-held territory about 50 kilometres (30 miles) northeast of the nuclear plant. Mr. Zelenskyy told the IAEA Director-General that staff at the Zaporizhzhia plant were under constant pressure from…

Moscow: A proposal from Moscow that demanded an impartial investigation into the disruption of the Nord Stream petrol pipelines from Russia to Germany last year was rejected by the UN Security Council. The Baltic Sea explosions in September 2022 were attributed to Russia by Western nations, but the Kremlin has accused the West of sabotage. The resolution got three votes, with China and Brazil backing Russia and the other 12 members abstaining. The resolution called for the creation of a commission to “conduct comprehensive, transparent and impartial international investigation of all aspects of the act of sabotage on the Nord…

United States: The United States President Mr. Joe Biden has signed an executive order that restricts the government’s use of commercial spyware technology used to target political dissent around the globe. The move comes more than a year after the US administration imposed sanctions on the Israeli spyware manufacturer NSO Group, which has been at the forefront of global discussions of spyware abuse. Its Pegasus software has been accused of allowing the surveillance of hundreds of political figures, journalists, and human rights advocates. “Misuse of these powerful surveillance tools has not been limited to authoritarian regimes,” the White House remarked…

Germany: EU ministers are anticipated to approve a draught regulation on vehicle emissions standards after a weekend agreement with Germany that put an end to a costly spat over an important aspect of Europe’s green initiative. The European Union’s mandate that all new cars sold starting in 2035 must-have zero emissions “will be voted unchanged, including by Germany,” as per Mr. Pascal Canfin, a French moderate MEP who serves as chair of the European Parliament’s environment committee. The compromise reached between Berlin and Brussels over the weekend will permit some combustion engines if they utilise so-called climate-neutral e-fuels. Diplomats are…

Taiwan: The Taiwan President Ms. Tsai Ing-wen has welcomed a large Czech delegation to the island after once-loyal ally Honduras switched allegiance to Beijing. Although the number of countries that retain formal diplomatic ties with Chinese-claimed Taiwan has reduced to just 13 after the move by Honduras, US allies like the Czech Republic have been offering support for the democratic island. The roughly 150-person Czech delegation that arrived in Taipei was led by the speaker of the lower chamber of the Czech parliament, Ms. Marketa Pekarova Adamova. After meeting Ms. Pekarova Adamova at the presidential office, Ms. Tsai noted she…