UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United Nations chief warned the world Monday that “humanity is just one misunderstanding, one miscalculation away from nuclear annihilation.” Secretary-General Antonio Guterres gave the dire warning at the opening of the long-delayed high-level meeting to review the landmark 50-year-old treaty aimed at preventing the spread of nuclear weapons and eventually achieving a nuclear-free world. He cited especially the war in Ukraine and the threat of nuclear weapons to conflicts in the Middle East and Asia, two regions “edging towards catastrophe.” Guterres told many ministers, officials and diplomats attending the month-long conference to review the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty that the meeting is taking place “at a critical juncture for our collective peace and security” and “at a time of nuclear danger not seen since the height of the Cold War.” The conference is “an opportunity to hammer out the measures that will help avoid certain disaster, and to put humanity on a new path towards a world free of nuclear weapons,” the secretary-general said.

 

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ALGIERS (AFP) -- Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has suggested that his country, Africa’s largest natural gas exporter, could join the BRICS economic group that includes Russia and China. Tebboune’s comment comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin -- whose country is hit with Western sanctions over its Ukraine invasion -- in June called on BRICS leaders to move towards “formation of a truly multipolar system of inter-government relations”. The BRICS group also includes the major emerging economies of Brazil, India and South Africa. “The BRICS interest us” as an alternative to traditional power centers, Tebboune said in a televised interview late Sunday. “They constitute an economic and political force.” He underlined that there was no need to “get ahead of things” but promised “good news”. BRICS members currently account for nearly a quarter of the world’s gross domestic product. Tebboune participated in a BRICS virtual summit at the end of June, when Putin called on leaders of the group to cooperate in the face of “selfish actions” from the West.

 

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JAKARTA (AFP) -- Thousands of Indonesian and American troops began a two-week joint military exercise on Monday that Washington said aims to advance “regional cooperation in support of a free and open” Asia-Pacific region. Washington said the drills were not aimed at any country even though they would be significantly larger than previous exercises. At least 4,000 U.S. and Indonesian soldiers will be joined by forces from Australia and Singapore - as well as Japan, which is participating for the first time in the annual drills, known as “Super Garuda Shield”. The exercise is taking place on the western Indonesian island of Sumatra and the Riau islands, an Indonesian province of islets scattered near Singapore and Malaysia. The exercise will last until Aug 14 encompassing army, navy, air force and marine drills. An opening ceremony with all participating nations will take place on Wednesday, an Indonesian official said. Canada, France, India, Malaysia, South Korea, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Britain will participate as observer nations.

 

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YREKA, United States (AFP) – The largest fire in California this year is forcing thousands of people to evacuate as it destroys homes and rips through the state’s dry terrain, whipped up on Sunday by strong winds and lightning storms. The McKinney Fire was zero percent contained as it burned in Klamath National Forest in northern California, CalFire said, spreading more than 51,000 acres near the city of Yreka. It is the largest wildfire in California so far this year, with the state already battling several blazes this summer. California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency Saturday, saying the fire had “destroyed homes” and “threatened critical infrastructure” after breaking out on Friday. The fire was “intensified and spread by dry fuels, extreme drought conditions, high temperatures, winds and lightning storms,” Newsom said in a statement. More than 2,000 residents were under evacuation orders and some 200 under evacuation warnings, according to the California Office of Emergency Services (OES), mostly in Siskiyou County. 

 

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FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Another round of storms hit disaster areas in eastern Kentucky Monday and the death toll rose to 30 as search and rescue operations continue in communities trying to recover from massive flooding, Gov Andy Beshear said. Hundreds of people remain unaccounted for, Beshear said. More than 12,000 customers remained without power, many because their homes and businesses have been destroyed or aren’t fit for habitation. Shelters were housing at least 300 people. Parts of eastern Kentucky received between 8 and 10 1/2 inches (20-27 centimeters) of rain over 48 hours last week and the National Weather Service said radar indicated up to 4 inches (10.2 centimeters) of rain fell Sunday in some areas. More severe storms were possible across all the counties affected by the flooding, Beshear said. Meanwhile, nighttime curfews were declared in response to reports of looting in two of the devastated communities — Breathitt County and the nearby city of Hindman in Knott County.