Author: Elizabeth Jenrola Oso

The last remaining treaty limiting deployable nuclear weapons between the United States and Russia expired on Thursday, ending decades of bilateral arms control between the world’s two largest nuclear powers. The New START treaty, signed in 2010, capped deployed strategic nuclear warheads at 1,550 for each country. It also established inspection regimes and notification requirements designed to ensure compliance. Russia halted inspections and notifications during its war in Ukraine, but the US State Department said last month that Moscow is not believed to have significantly exceeded the treaty’s limits. Former US president Joe Biden extended the agreement in 2021 for…

French prosecutors have raided the Paris headquarters of Elon Musk’s social media platform X and summoned the billionaire and the company’s former chief executive for questioning as part of a cybercrime investigation. The Paris prosecutor’s office said the search was being carried out by its cybercrime unit, the national police cyber division and Europol. In a post on X on Tuesday, the office added that it would no longer publish on the platform. In a separate statement, prosecutors confirmed that Musk and Linda Yaccarino, who stepped down as X’s chief executive in July last year, had been called in for…

A small number of sick and wounded Palestinians have begun crossing into Egypt for medical treatment after Israel allowed a limited reopening of Gaza’s Rafah border crossing, raising cautious hopes amid fragile diplomatic efforts to stabilise the conflict. Egyptian officials said about 150 people were expected to leave Gaza on Monday, with 50 permitted to enter, more than 20 months after Israeli forces closed the crossing. By nightfall, however, only 12 Palestinians had been allowed back into the territory, according to Palestinian and Egyptian sources cited by Reuters. A further 38 failed to clear security checks and were forced to…

NASA has postponed its landmark mission to send astronauts around the Moon and back after technical problems emerged during a key test of its most powerful rocket to date. The US space agency had planned to launch Artemis II from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida as early as next week. However, Nasa said overnight that the mission would be delayed until March, without confirming a specific launch date. The decision followed a “wet dress rehearsal”, an extensive launch-day simulation in which engineers detected a hydrogen leak in the Space Launch System (SLS). A separate issue was also found with…

A member of a key US vaccines advisory panel has drawn criticism after describing vaccination recommendations as coercive and likening them to “medical battery”, despite vaccines being voluntary at the federal level. In an article for the New York Times, Milhoan argued that vaccine guidance leaves families with “no choice”. However, the US government has never mandated childhood vaccinations nationwide. Instead, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) issues evidence-based recommendations, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) may choose to adopt. On a recent podcast, Milhoan appeared to misrepresent the committee’s role, saying: “We make a recommendation,…

Preparations are under way to reopen Gaza’s main border crossing at Rafah, although it remains unclear whether any Palestinians will pass through before the end of the day, officials have said. Before the war, the Rafah crossing with Egypt was Gaza’s only direct exit to the outside world for most Palestinians and a vital entry point for humanitarian aid. It has been largely closed since May 2024. Cogat, the Israeli military body responsible for humanitarian coordination, said the crossing would reopen in both directions for Gaza residents travelling on foot. Its operation will be coordinated with Egypt and the European…

Thousands of people are expected to gather in Budapest on Saturday to demand the resignation of a senior Hungarian politician over racist remarks directed at Roma people earlier this month. János Lázár made the comments at a political forum while arguing that migration was not a solution to Hungary’s labour shortage. Referring to cleaning work on intercity trains, he said Roma people would do the job, using an offensive slur. The remarks, recorded on video, quickly circulated online and prompted a strong backlash. Roma organisations, civil society groups and opposition politicians called on Lázár to apologise and step down. “He…

Costa Rica goes to the polls on Sunday in an election shaped by rising insecurity and fears of an authoritarian shift in a country long regarded as a democratic model in Central America. Crime has emerged as the dominant issue for voters, as organised criminal groups fight for control of cocaine trafficking routes to Europe and the United States. The violence has cast a shadow over a nation better known internationally for its wildlife tourism and political stability. Voters will choose a president and 57 members of congress for four-year terms, following a campaign heavily influenced by President Rodrigo Chaves.…

Actor Catherine O’Hara, celebrated for her roles in Home Alone, Beetlejuice and Schitt’s Creek, has died at the age of 71, according to a statement from her agency, Creative Artists Agency (CAA). O’Hara died at her home in Los Angeles following a brief illness, the agency said. A private celebration of life will be held by her family. Born in Canada, O’Hara began her career at Toronto’s Second City theatre, where she helped create the influential sketch comedy series SCTV. She won an Emmy Award for her writing on the show and received four additional nominations. She later became one…

Funding has lapsed for several US government departments after Congress failed to reach an agreement on new spending measures, triggering a partial government shutdown early on Saturday. The shutdown follows a standoff in the Senate over funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), after two US citizens were killed by federal agents in Minneapolis amid Donald Trump’s expanded deportation campaign. Democratic senators blocked a bill authorising continued funding for DHS, demanding new restrictions on federal immigration agents following the deaths of Alex Pretti last week and Renee Good earlier in January. Both killings occurred after Trump ordered a surge…