Putin says Russia is willing to abide by nuclear arms deal with the US for 1 year after it expires

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced that Moscow will adhere to nuclear arms limits for one more year after the last remaining nuclear pact with the U.S. expires. The 2010 New START treaty is set to expire in February. Putin on Monday emphasized the importance of maintaining the status quo to avoid a strategic arms race. He urged the U.S. to follow suit and warned against actions that could disrupt the balance of deterrence. The treaty limits each country to 1,550 deployed nuclear warheads and 700 deployed missiles and bombers.

Russia and Ukraine trade deadly drone strikes

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia and Ukraine are accusing each other of deadly drone strikes on civilian areas as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy anticipates a busy week at the U.N. General Assembly in New York. He aims to boost a U.S.-led peace effort. He has already offered a ceasefire and a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, Moscow has issues with some proposals and peace still seems a distant possibility. Concerns have grown that the conflict could spread beyond Ukraine. European countries have rebuked Russia for provocations including drones landing in Poland. Zelenskyy plans to meet with world leaders to gather support against Russia’s invasion.

Super typhoon blowing by northern Philippines and Taiwan forces evacuations and closures

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Thousands of people have been evacuated from northern Philippine villages and schools and offices were closed in the archipelago and neighboring Taiwan as one of the strongest typhoons this year threatens to cause flooding and landslides on its way to southeastern China. Philippine forecasters said Super Typhoon Ragasa had sustained winds of 134 mph and higher gusts on Monday and was centered east of the island town of Calayan off Cagayan province. It was heading west at 12 mph. The typhoon is forecast to remain in the South China Sea at least into Wednesday while passing south of Taiwan and Hong Kong before landfall on the Chinese mainland.

Court in South Korea issues arrest warrant for Unification Church leader in corruption case

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A South Korean court has issued an arrest warrant for the 82-year-old leader of the Unification Church, who is under investigation over allegations that the church bribed the wife of jailed former President Yoon Suk Yeol and a conservative lawmaker. Hak Ja Han, the 82-year-old widow of the church’s South Korean founder, Sun Myung Moon, has denied allegations that she directed church officials to bribe Yoon’s wife, Kim Keon Hee, and the lawmaker. The Seoul Central District Court approved investigators’ request for Han’s arrest, saying she posed a risk of destroying evidence.