Reuters World News Summary

Matthew Miller declined to give details on the department's internal work on the issue, but told a news briefing the effort has been an objective of President Joe Biden's administration. US needs to build Marshall Islands' trust over Cold War nuclear dump -US agency The U.S. energy secretary should build trust with the Republic of the Marshall Islands by developing a plan to communicate clearly over lingering threats from a radioactive waste dump left by U.S. nuclear weapons testing that is now seen at risk of floods from climate change, a U.S. agency said on Wednesday.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

State Dept says US actively pursuing the creation of a Palestinian state

The United States is actively pursuing the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with security guarantees for Israel and exploring options with partners in the region, the State Department spokesperson said on Wednesday. Matthew Miller declined to give details on the department's internal work on the issue, but told a news briefing the effort has been an objective of President Joe Biden's administration.

US needs to build Marshall Islands' trust over Cold War nuclear dump -US agency

The U.S. energy secretary should build trust with the Republic of the Marshall Islands by developing a plan to communicate clearly over lingering threats from a radioactive waste dump left by U.S. nuclear weapons testing that is now seen at risk of floods from climate change, a U.S. agency said on Wednesday. The U.S. conducted 67 nuclear bomb tests on the Marshall Islands from 1946 to 1958. In the late 1970s it deposited radioactive soil and debris from six of the islands into an unlined crater created by one of the tests. The site, called the Runit Dome, was covered with a concrete cap but is now at risk of leaks from flooding due to rising seas caused by climate change, Marshallese officials have said.

Peru reopens train route to Machu Picchu after protests end

Peruvian authorities have reopened the train route to Machu Picchu, the Andean country's railway operator said on Wednesday, after an agreement was struck to end protests that had blocked access to the famed Incan site and stranded tourists. PeruRail said in a statement a partial service had restarted on Wednesday and that a regular service would return on Thursday from the city of Cusco to Aguas Calientes near the archaeological site.

Israeli PM says UN agency for Palestinians must close, Israeli warplanes strike Gaza

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on Wednesday for the closure of the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) as his forces conducted more air strikes in Gaza amid diplomatic efforts for a ceasefire and release of hostages in the enclave. Israel has accused some UNRWA staff of involvement in the Oct. 7 Hamas assault in southern Israel that triggered the war in Gaza. Donors including the United States have paused funding pending an investigation, but aid agencies say ending UNRWA operations would wreck humanitarian efforts in devastated Gaza.

Donors seek fast answers to allegations over U.N. agency in Gaza crisis

Any halt to operations by the U.N. Palestinian agency over Israeli accusations that some of its staff took part in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack could hamstring the entire humanitarian effort in devastated Gaza, aid agencies say. Donors are demanding a swift investigation before resuming funding, though they have praised the work of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in Gaza and its response so far to the allegations.

Brazil authorities crack down on illegal pesticides trade

An agency tasked with patrolling federal roads in Brazil has reported a surge in volumes of illegal pesticides seized from criminals in the last eight years, including a record 358 metric tons apprehended in 2022 when the country harvested close to 300 million tons of grains. According to information sent to Reuters by the federal highway police (PRF), herbicide Paraqua t, banned in 2021, and insecticides Thiamethoxam and Emamectin Benzoate are among chemicals most commonly seized by authorities.

World Court dismisses much of Ukraine's case against Russia

Judges at the top U.N. court on Wednesday found that Russia violated elements of a U.N. anti-terrorism treaty, but declined to rule on allegations brought by Kyiv that Moscow was responsible for the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine in 2014. In the same ruling, judges at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) found that Russia had breached an anti-discrimination treaty by failing to support Ukrainian language education in Crimea after its 2014 annexation of the peninsula.

Commission to discuss new Russia sanctions proposal with EU countries

The European Commission will start informal high-level meetings with member states on Saturday on the details of a proposed new set of sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, three diplomatic sources said on Wednesday. The EU is keen to put a 13th package of measures together to mark the second anniversary of the war on Feb. 24.

Cuba delays Feb. 1 fuel price hike, cites cyberattack

Cuba put off an unpopular five-fold increase in gasoline prices planned for Feb. 1 due to a cyberattack, Economy Vice Minister Mildrey Granadillo said on Wednesday, a sudden about-face hours before the hike was to take effect. "This decision is influenced by the occurrence of a cybersecurity incident in the computer systems for the marketing of fuels, the origin of which has been identified as a virus from abroad," Granadillo said in the final minutes of the midday newscast on state-run TV.

European farmers step up protests against costs, green rules

The French government on Wednesday sent armoured vehicles to protect a wholesale food market in Paris in a sign of escalating tensions as farmers blocked highways in France and Belgium and protests spread elsewhere in Europe. Spanish and Italian farmers said they were joining the protest movement that has also hit Germany, aiming to press governments to ease environmental rules and shield them from rising costs and cheap imports.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)