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US nukes in Europe

Russia is critical of the US deploying atomic weapons in non-nuclear NATO states, insisting that they must be eliminated from Europe. Deputy UN Representative, Dmitry Polyansky, says Washington is violating the Non-Proliferation Treaty. He says US non-strategic atomic weapons are kept in non-nuclear European countries, adding such weapons and their delivery means are even being modernized. Speaking at a meeting of the UN Disarmament Commission, Polyansky also criticized the involvement of NATO's non-nuclear members in nuclear weapons training, under joint missions. He rejected the idea of Russia using nukes in the Ukraine conflict, saying Moscow would only use its nuclear potential in response to similar attacks against Russia or its allies. Russia and the US possess around 90 percent of the world’s atomic weapons.

Pakistan political crisis

Pakistan’s Supreme Court resumes its deliberations on whether Prime Minister Imran Khan’s decision to dissolve parliament, to avert a no-confidence vote, was legal. Khan lost his parliamentary majority last week, facing a no-confidence motion. Speculations of the prime minister losing the vote had been running rife, but the deputy speaker blocked a debate on the motion on Sunday, triggering a full-blown political drama. The crisis deepened after Khan asked the presidency to dissolve the national assembly and called for a snap election. A united opposition is calling that decision unconstitutional. Khan’s cabinet has been dissolved as well in anticipation of fresh elections. The prime minister is accused of failing to revive the economy and cracking down on corruption. But Khan blames foreign conspiracy and says opposition figures have colluded with the United States to topple him. Washington says it has nothing to do with the current turmoil in Pakistan.

Afghanistan suffering

Suffering is at its peak in Afghanistan. A new study shows that almost all Afghan people consider their living conditions to be so dismal to be characterized as suffering. According to the Gallup survey, 94 percent of Afghans have rated their lives poorly enough to be considered suffering. This is the highest level measured for any country since 2005. The study shows that the percentage of women suffering is higher than men, and that women are more pessimistic about their futures. With the entire world now focusing on the conflict in Ukraine, Afghanistan has been deprived of the attention and the humanitarian assistance it much deserves. The situation has become even worse since the Taliban's takeover last year. With the world refusing to recognize the Taliban government, and the United States freezing billions of dollars worth of Afghan assets, humanitarian aid to the country has almost entirely dried up. 

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