Reuters: World

Iran can make fissile material for a bomb 'in about 12 days' - U.S. official Iran could make enough fissile for one nuclear bomb in "about 12 days," a top U.S. Defense Department official said on Tuesday, down from the estimated one year it would have taken while the 2015 Iran nuclear deal was in effect. Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl made the comment to a House of Representatives hearing when pressed by a Republican lawmaker why the Biden administration had sought to revive the deal, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) "Because Iran's nuclear progress since we left the JCPOA has been remarkable. Back in 2018, when the previous administration decided to leave the JCPOA it would have taken Iran about 12 months to produce one bomb's worth of fissile material. Now it would take about 12 days," Kahl, the third ranking Defense Department official, told lawmakers. read more

U.S. Commerce to ask companies seeking chips funding to provide childcare for employees The U.S. Commerce Department said on Monday it plans to ask companies seeking at least $150 million in funding from a $52 billion semiconductor law to submit a plan for how they will provide affordable childcare for their workers. The Biden administration unsuccessfully sought $200 billion in funding for universal pre-kindergarten and other childcare programs in a bid to boost economic growth by paying child and home healthcare workers better, and freeing up unpaid caregivers to go to paying jobs. Commerce cited data that a lack of affordable and accessible childcare "is one of the largest constraints keeping Americans - and especially women" - out of the labor workforce in making the case that companies getting chips funding should show how they will provide affordable childcare. read more

Florida Governor DeSantis ends 'corporate kingdom' of Walt Disney World Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Monday signed a bill that takes control of a special tax district surrounding Walt Disney World that for half a century allowed Walt Disney Co (DIS.N) to operate with a high degree of autonomy. “The corporate kingdom finally comes to an end,” DeSantis said during a press event at Lake Buena Vista near Orlando. State Republicans last year targeted Disney after it publicly clashed with DeSantis, who is widely considered to be running for president in 2024, over a law that restricts classroom instruction of gender and sexual orientation, known by its opponents as the "Don't Say Gay" measure.

Nigeria's electoral commission starts announcing state-wide results Nigeria's electoral commission began announcing state-by-state results from national elections on Sunday, amid complaints of irregularities, though it is not expected to name a victor in the race to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari for several days. The presidential vote is expected to be the closest in Nigeria's history, with candidates from two parties that have alternated power since the end of army rule in 1999 facing an unusually strong challenge from a minor party nominee popular among young voters. Votes in presidential and parliamentary elections are collated in each of Nigeria's 36 states before the count is transmitted to the electoral commission's central tallying centre in the capital Abuja. read more

Elon Musk accuses media of racism after newspapers drop 'Dilbert' cartoon Billionaire Elon Musk on Sunday accused the media of being racist against whites and Asians after U.S. newspapers dropped a white comic strip author who made derogatory comments about Black Americans. The Los Angeles Times, the Washington Post and USA Today were among newspapers that canceled the cartoon "Dilbert" after its creator Scott Adams said Black Americans were a hate group and posted racist comments on his YouTube channel on Wednesday. In replies to tweets about the controversy, the Tesla (TSLA.O) and Twitter chief executive said the media had long been racist against non-white people but are now "racist against whites & Asians." read more

More than 30 dead after migrant shipwreck in southern Italy More than 30 people have died and more than 40 have survived a migrant boat shipwreck in southern Italy, a spokesman for the Italian firefighters' service said on Sunday. The shipwreck took place near Steccato di Cutro, a seaside resort on the eastern coast of Calabria, the region that forms the tip of Italy's boot. The death toll "has surpassed 30," Danilo Maida, spokesman for the firefighters' service in Calabria told Reuters, adding that the count was provisional. Firefighters and other emergency services were looking for more survivors at sea using jet skis, but conditions were harsh, making the search difficult, he added. read more

G20 fails to reach consensus on Russia-Ukraine war -sources G20 finance chiefs have been unable to reach a consensus on describing the war in Ukraine and are likely to end a meeting in India on Saturday without a joint communique, delegates said. The United States and its allies in the G7 group of nations have been adamant in demands that the communique squarely condemn Russia for the invasion of its neighbour, which has been opposed by the Russian and Chinese delegations, they said. Russia, which is a member of the G20, refers to its actions in Ukraine as a "special military operation", and avoids calling it an invasion or war. read more

IMF flags debt restructuring hurdles, says banning crypto should be an option There are some disagreements over restructuring debt for distressed economies, the chief of the International Monetary Fund said on Saturday on the sidelines of a G20 meeting, adding that banning private cryptocurrencies should be an option. India's G20 presidency comes at a time when its South Asian neighbours Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan are seeking urgent IMF funds due to an economic slowdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war. China, the world's largest bilateral creditor, urged G20 nations on Friday to conduct a fair, objective and in-depth analysis of the causes of global debt issues as clamour grows for lenders to take a large haircut, or accept losses, on loans. read more

Russia's Medvedev floats idea of pushing back Poland's borders Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev said on Friday that the only way for Moscow to ensure a lasting peace with Ukraine was to push back the borders of hostile states as far as possible, even if that meant the frontiers of NATO member Poland. Medvedev, who is now deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, made the comments in a message on his Telegram account exactly a year after Russia sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in what it called a "special military operation" to protect Russian speakers and ensure its own security. Ukraine says it is defending itself from an unprovoked colonial-style war of aggression and has vowed to retake all of its own territory by force, including Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014. read more

China says Ukraine crisis must not spiral out of control China wants to prevent the Russia-Ukraine crisis from getting out of control and said on Friday dialogue and negotiation are the only viable ways to resolve the crisis. On the first anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, China called in a 12-point foreign ministry paper for a comprehensive ceasefire and a gradual de-escalation. The ministry paper is largely a reiteration of China's line since Russia launched what it calls its "special military operation" on Feb. 24 last year. read more

Putin says Russia to deploy Sarmat nuclear missiles President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russia would pay increased attention to boosting its nuclear forces by deploying a much delayed new intercontinental ballistic missile, rolling out hypersonic missiles and adding new nuclear submarines. A year since ordering the invasion of Ukraine, Putin has signalled he is ready to rip up the architecture of nuclear arms control - including the big powers' moratorium on nuclear testing - unless the West backs off in Ukraine. Putin on Tuesday sought to underscore Russian resolve in Ukraine by suspending a landmark nuclear arms control treaty, announcing new strategic systems had been put on combat duty and warning that Moscow could resume nuclear tests. read more

Magnitude 7.2 earthquake strikes Tajikistan, near border with China An earthquake of about 7.2 magnitude shook Tajikistan at 8:37 a.m. (0037 GMT) on Thursday at a depth of 10 km (6 miles), Chinese state television CCTV reported，citing the China Earthquake Networks Center. The epicenter is about 82 km from the nearest border with China and was strongly felt in some areas in China's western Xinjiang region, including Kashgar and Artux, CCTV reported. Power supply and communication remained normal in Kashgar, state media Xinhua reported. The Xinjiang railroad department called a halt to passenger trains running on the Aksu to Kashgar section of the Southern Xinjiang railway, state media said. source