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The number of Chinese nuclear warheads could increase to 700 within six years, the US report said, and may top 1,000 by 2030. China is expanding its nuclear force much faster than US officials predicted just a year ago, highlighting a broad and accelerating buildup of military muscle designed to …

Russia has left military units near the Ukrainian border after exercises, with the number of Russian troops in the area now totaling 90,000, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said. Russian armed forces recently held a series of large-scale drills, including with airborne troops, the ministry said late on Tuesday. After the …

The results in states that Biden won easily in 2020 suggest that Democrats’ razor-thin majorities in Congress are highly vulnerable in the 2022 elections. Republicans pushed Democrats out of the Virginia governorship and did unexpectedly well in heavily Democratic New Jersey on Wednesday, signaling trouble for President Joe Biden’s party …

Tunisia has discovered a tunnel near the French ambassador’s residence from a house frequented by a known extremist, and anti-terrorism forces are investigating, the Tunisian Interior Ministry said on Wednesday. French diplomats were not immediately available for comment. Tunisian security forces have thwarted most militant plots in recent years and …

At least 20 people including children were killed on Wednesday when a bus plunged into a ravine in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, officials said. “The bus carrying up to 40 passengers was going to Rawalpindi when it plunged into a deep ravine while negotiating a sharp turn,” local disaster management authority official …

A roadside bomb struck a Taliban patrol in a stronghold of ISIS militants in eastern Afghanistan on Wednesday, killing two people and wounding three, witnesses said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but the attack bore the hallmarks of previous ISIS strikes against the Taliban. The two groups are …

The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday that it has granted approval for Indian drugmaker Bharat Biotech’s home-grown COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use listing, paving the way for it to be accepted as a valid vaccine in many poor countries. The WHO tweet that its technical advisory group had …

The top US envoy for the Horn of Africa is heading to Ethiopia later this week as Washington and the international community look on with concern over the deteriorating situation. “United States Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Jeffrey Feltman will travel to Ethiopia November 4 and 5,” a …

Turkish authorities detained 17 people on Wednesday for putting a hood over the head of a visiting US Navy civilian employee in a protest against the United States policy in the Middle East, the Istanbul governor’s office said. The group that carried out the act, the Turkey Youth Union (TGB), …

Colombian authorities are focused on breaking up the Clan del Golfo gang – whose network extends to 28 countries around the world – after the capture of the group’s leader late last month, the country’s top cop said on Wednesday. Dairo Antonio Usuga, alias “Otoniel,” was the country’s most-wanted drug …

An earthquake of magnitude 5.8 struck off the coast of Kep. Tanimbar in Indonesia late on Tuesday, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said. The quake was at a depth of 109 km (67.73 miles) and was about 440 km southeast of the city of Ambon, EMSC said. The earthquake monitoring …

CIA director William Burns is making a rare visit to Moscow to discuss U.S.-Russia relations, the latest in a series of high-level contacts that show both sides want to keep talking despite mutual distrust and a long list of disputes. A U.S. Embassy spokesperson said Burns was leading a delegation …

China’s top climate negotiator said on Tuesday a broad deal on carbon markets was possible at the U.N. COP26 climate talks despite the tensions between Beijing and Washington. Some delegates say the U.S.-China relationship is crucial for meaningful progress on global climate action at the summit. It is the first …

Britain and India launched a plan on Tuesday to improve connections between the world’s electricity power grids to help accelerate the world’s transition to greener energy. Launched at the COP26 climate talks in Scotland, the plan dubbed the “Green Grids Initiative –- One Sun One World One Grid,” was backed …

Ethiopia declared a state of emergency on Tuesday after forces from the northern region of Tigray said they were gaining territory and considering marching on the capital Addis Ababa. The announcement on state-affiliated media came two days after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed urged citizens to take up arms to defend …

A high-rise building under construction collapsed in Nigeria’s commercial capital Lagos on Monday, killing at least Ten people with dozens more feared trapped inside the rubble. A yellow excavator pushed away concrete slabs in the search for people in the wreckage of the 21-floor building in Lagos’s Ikoyi district, AFP …

Ten Egyptian peacekeepers from the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) were wounded by shots fired by the presidential guard in Bangui, the UN said Tuesday. The UN called the incident, which took place on Monday, “a deliberate and unspeakable attack” on an Egyptian police contingent that …

A suicide bomber and gunmen were behind an attack on a Kabul hospital that killed at least 19 people, and 50+ wounded on Tuesday, a Taliban official said. “The attack was initiated by a suicide bomber on a motorcycle who blew himself up at the entrance of the hospital,” said …

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison attacked the credibility of French President Emmanuel Macron as a newspaper quoted a text message that suggested France anticipated “bad news” about a now-scuttled submarine deal. An Australian newspaper cast doubt on President Joe Biden’s explanation to Macron last week that the US leader thought …

One of the main crossings between Afghanistan and Pakistan has reopened after being closed for almost a month, officials said on Tuesday, offering hope for an end to a standoff that has caused heavy losses to traders and left thousands stranded. The Chaman crossing is a major transit point for …