U.S. Suspends INF Treaty Compliance
The U.S. will announce that they will suspend their compliance with the U.S-Russian INF treaty. The treaty, which controls the amount of short and intermediate range nuclear weapons that the countries have located in European countries. The U.S. claims that Russia’s new missile, the Novator 9M729, called the SSC-8 by NATO, violates the pact.
However, Russia denies it, saying the missiles range puts it out of the treaty. Because of this, the U.S. will suspend their compliance. If Russia doesn’t come into compliance within 6 months, the suspension will become permanent. Originally signed in 1987, the current state of the treaty aggravated the largest tension between the U.S. and Russia since the end of the Cold War.
Juan Guaidó Says His Family Was Threatened
Venezuela’s self declared interim president Juan Guaidó said that police threatened his family. After declaring himself president last month, the U.S. and several Latin American countries immediately backed him. However, Russia, China, and Mexico backed president Nicolás Maduro. Maduro was elected unfairly after many of his opponents were jailed or barred from running.
Guaidó said, “Right now, special forces were at my home asking for Fabiana”. Currently, Venezuela’s military backs Maduro, although Guaidó says he held meetings with them to gain support to oust Maduro. Guaidó also has a broad vision to rebuild the country.
U.S. Court Finds Syria Liable For Journalist’s Murder
A U.S. judge ruled that the Syrian government is liable for at least $302.5M in damages for the death of American journalist Marie Colvin. Colvin was covering the Syrian civil war for Britain’s Sunday Times at the time of her murder.
The lawsuit claims that Syria deliberately targeted a makeshift broadcasting station where Colvin, French photographer Remi Ochlik, and others were living and working. Judge Amy Berman Jackson said that the Syrian government “engaged in an act of extrajudicial killing of a United States national.”
Uzbekistan Lifts Ban On Political Science
After not teaching it for almost 7 years, Uzbekistan will resume teaching political science this year. They stopped teaching it in 2013, before completely eradicating it in 2015. Late president Islam Karimov derided the science, rejecting the idea of Western-style political and economic reforms.
After his death in 2016, Karimov’s successor Shavkat Mirziyoyev has launched a broad reform program. He also plans to undo mane of his predecessors more bizarre policies. This includes bans on buying foreign currency, painting faces at soccer games and playing billiards and snooker.
Theresa May To Meet With Lawmakers
British Prime Minister Theresa May plans to meet the group of lawmakers behind an alternative Brexit proposal later on Thursday. In addition to the meeting, officials will meet trade union representatives. The government wanted to secure changes to the Brexit deal with the European Union as soon as possible. They also are determined to leave the EU on March 29.
