Global News Highlights: Politics, Crime, and Traditions

The mother of Alexei Navalny, a Russian opposition figure who died in 2024, has stated that she always knew her son was murdered after a recent assessment confirmed that he died from poisoning using a toxin derived from a dart frog. The UK and European allies released a statement saying that only the Russian state had the means, motive, and opportunity to deploy the lethal toxin. Navalny's widow, Yulia, has also marked the two-year anniversary of his death, vowing to achieve justice. Russia has rejected the accusations, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov calling them biased and unfounded.

Pressure is mounting on Venezuela's interim government to release the remaining political prisoners held in the country. Despite 444 prisoners being released since US forces seized Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, hundreds more remain behind bars. Activists say the health of some relatives who have gone on hunger strike is deteriorating. The interim government has been criticized for delays and lack of transparency in releasing prisoners. An amnesty bill has been proposed but lawmakers have failed to agree on its application.

Savannah Guthrie, a US TV anchor, has issued a plea for her 84-year-old mother's release two weeks after she disappeared in a suspected kidnapping. The FBI is analyzing DNA found on a glove recovered near Nancy Guthrie's home in Tucson, Arizona, which appears to match one worn by a suspect in doorbell-camera footage taken the night she went missing. The suspect was described as being between 5ft 9in and 5ft 10in tall with an average build, wearing a 25-litre Ozark Trail Hiker Pack backpack, and clothing and face mask purchased at Walmart. The FBI has increased the reward for information about her disappearance from $50,000 to $100,000. Authorities have conducted a massive search operation and reviewed surveillance footage from nearby Walmart locations. Nancy Guthrie's family, including all siblings and their spouses, have been cleared as possible suspects.

An explosion and fire at a fireworks shop in eastern China's Jiangsu province killed eight people and injured two others on Sunday, ahead of the Chinese New Year. The blast was caused by a resident improperly setting off fireworks near the store. The incident prompted the Ministry of Emergency Management to urge stricter supervision of fireworks production, transportation, sales, and use to prevent future accidents. The Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, is a significant traditional holiday in China, where setting off firecrackers at midnight is a custom, although many places have banned fireworks in recent years due to air pollution concerns.

The article discusses the expiration of the New START treaty between the US and Russia, and the potential for a nuclear arms race between the US and China. The treaty, which was the last remaining arms-control agreement between the US and Russia, expired without a replacement, increasing the risk of nuclear proliferation. China's rapid nuclear build-up is likely to prompt the US to expand its arsenal, leading to a new arms race. The article cites Robert Oppenheimer, the father of America's nuclear bomb, who described the US-Soviet nuclear rivalry as 'two scorpions in a bottle', and notes that the current situation is even more complex with the addition of China as a third nuclear power.

The article discusses the strong demand for gold jewellery in China during the Lunar New Year, driven by cultural traditions and consumer sentiment. Despite fluctuations in gold prices, retailers like Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group offered small discounts to boost sales, with plans to raise prices after the festival. Investment banks, such as Su Merchants Bank, remain bullish on the sector's outlook, citing strong demand and a shift towards younger buyers.

Hundreds of protesters took to the streets in Venezuela's capital and across the country on Youth Day, calling for acting president Delcy Rodríguez to release political prisoners. The protests, which proceeded peacefully, were seen as a test for the new government following the US capture of former President Nicolás Maduro. The demonstrations marked the first major show of opposition since Maduro's capture and a large-scale crackdown on dissent in 2024.