Month: January 2023

Authorities in Western Australia say they are looking for a missing radioactive capsule. The Department of Fire and Emergency Services said the capsule containing radioactive material was lost during transportation from north of Newman to Perth’s northeastern suburbs. Exposure to the material, used in gauges in mining, could cause radiation burns or radiation sickness, the department said. The small silver capsule measures 6 mm in diameter and is 8 mm tall. Workers are searching the Great Northern Highway for the capsule. Motorists have been urged to check their vehicles’ tires…

united nations —  Editor’s note: Here is a fast take on what the international community has been up to this week, as seen from the United Nations’ perch. UN deputy chief says Taliban’s desire for recognition is bargaining chip on rights U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed said Wednesday that the international community’s best leverage to persuade the Taliban to reverse restrictions on Afghan women’s rights is the group’s desire for international recognition. She told reporters that the U.N. and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation are discussing holding a conference in…

WASHINGTON —  One of the lowest points in recent Sino-American relations came in July 2021 when U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, on a visit to Beijing, was scolded by her Chinese interlocutor and handed a “List of U.S. Wrongdoings that Must Stop.” Sherman was also warned during the strained encounter about what the Chinese described as the Biden administration’s “highly misguided mindset” and handed a second “List of Key Individual Cases that China Has Concerns With.” The man who delivered those messages, Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng, is…

Authorities in New Zealand’s biggest city, Auckland, began mopping up on Saturday, a day after torrential rain brought flooding and evacuations, shutting airports and forcing organizers to cancel a scheduled concert by Elton John. A state of emergency remained in place in the city of 1.6 million people on New Zealand’s north island as the rains eased after causing flooding in the north, northwest and west. Auckland Emergency Management, part of the city’s council, said daylight had revealed the first “true understanding” of the impact of the storm, caused by…

jakarta, indonesia —  Journalist associations in Indonesia are demanding greater efforts to protect media from attacks after a bombing outside the home of an investigative reporter. Victor Mambor, the editor of the Papua news outlet Jubi, was at home watching television around 6 a.m. local time Monday when he heard a motorbike stop outside his home in Jayapura City. Shortly after he heard the motorbike drive off, “there was an explosion,” he told VOA. At first, Mambor said, he stayed indoors but he could hear a crowd starting to gather.…