Brandon Williams, who leads the US National Nuclear Security Agency (NNSA), has instructed higher levels of monitoring to prevent classified information from leaking from organizations involved in nuclear weapons work, according to a report by The New York Times (NYT) on Wednesday. In a memo addressed to the heads of the national nuclear weapons laboratories, Williams stated, "This is not a...

Moody's Investors Service has raised Italy's long-term credit rating to "Baa2" from "Baa3," recognizing the country's sustained political and financial stability. This marks the first time in 23 years that Italy's rating has been upgraded, as it had remained at "Baa3" since October 2018. The outlook for Italy's rating has been revised to "stable" from "positive." Moody's stated that Italy is...

Tehran has officially ended the agreement made in Cairo in September regarding the conditions for the resumption of IAEA expert activities in Iran, according to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who announced this on Thursday. "As stated in an official letter sent to IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi today, we have declared the agreement invalid," said Araghchi. He explained that the...

The White House has asked members of Congress to stop a bill that would prevent Nvidia from selling artificial intelligence chips to China and other competing countries, writes Bloomberg. The bill, known as the GAIN AI Act, aims to create a system that gives American buyers priority access to AI chips that are subject to export controls—meaning chips that are not allowed to be shipped to China...

Chinese officials have stated that they will implement additional actions against Japan if Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi does not disassociate herself from her remarks about the situation involving Taiwan, according to a statement from the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning, on Wednesday. Mao Ning, as reported by the South China Morning Post, said that China will be...

Ireland's Finance Minister, Paschal Donohoe, is set to resign to take up the role of Managing Director at the World Bank, as reported by The Irish Times. The publication states that Donohoe has informed Prime Minister Micheal Martin and his deputy, Simon Harris, of his decision to accept the position, which is the second-highest role at the World Bank. He will step down from his ministerial...

The EU Council stated that it has reached an agreement with the European Parliament on the EU budget for 2026, which totals €192.8 billion. For the year 2026, the total EU budget commitments are €192.8 billion, and the total disbursements are €190.1 billion. In a statement, the Council explained that commitments are legally binding obligations to use funds for various initiatives that will be...

The European Union is set to propose a new plan to the United States for the next stage of their trade agreement, according to Bloomberg, which is quoting sources. As per the information from the agency, the EU's plan to be shared with the US will center around five key areas. Bloomberg mentions that these areas include tariffs and market access, with the EU aiming to reduce rates on several...

French President Emmanuel Macron and President of the Palestinian National Authority Mahmoud Abbas announced the formation of a joint committee to draft a constitution for the State of Palestine, according to BFMTV. Macron spoke at the Elysee Palace, where he hosted Abbas, and said the work on the new constitution will focus on creating all the necessary conditions for establishing a Palestinian...