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A4 U.S. NEWS
Wednesday 21 OctOber 2020
U.S., Russia appear set to extend last remaining nuclear pact

By ,MATTHEW LEE and Lavrov also noted that Mos-
VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV cow wouldn't accept the
Associated Press U.S. demand to have intru-
WASHINGTON (AP) — The sive verification measures
United States and Russia like those that existed in
inched closer Tuesday to a the 1990s when inspectors
deal to extend their last re- were positioned at missile
maining arms control pact, factories. Moscow appears
after U.S. threats to allow still to resist the deeper in-
the deal to expire early spections, which aren't en-
next year. visaged by the New START.
The two sides signaled Daryl Kimball, executive di-
they are ready to accept rector of the Arms Control
compromises to salvage Association in Washington,
the New START treaty just said "a one-year politically
two weeks ahead of the binding warhead freeze
U.S. presidential election could be a useful confi-
in which President Donald dence-building measure if
Trump faces a strong chal- combined with a one-year
lenge from former Vice New START extension, with
President Joe Biden, whose the option of an additional
campaign has accused extension adding up to a
Trump of being soft on Rus- Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a Security Council meeting via video conference in total of five years."
sia. After the White House Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2020. "It would be a step in the
last week rejected a pro- Associated Press right direction that would
posal from the Kremlin to then welcomed the Rus- and bombers, and envis- one-year extension of the avert, for now, an all-out
keep the accord alive, call- sian offer. "We appreci- ages sweeping on-site in- treaty, but said it must be arms race," Kimball said,
ing it a "non-starter," Mos- ate the Russian Federa- spections to verify compli- coupled with the imposi- adding that it would give
cow said Tuesday it could tion's willingness to make ance. tion of a broader cap on Washington and Moscow
agree to a U.S.-proposed progress on the issue of After both Moscow and nuclear warheads. The cap more time for further talks
freeze on each side's nu- nuclear arms control," de- Washington withdrew from would cover warheads on a new deal to cut their
clear warheads and to partment spokeswoman the 1987 Intermediate- attached to battlefield nuclear arsenals.
extend the treaty by one Morgan Ortagus said. "The Range Nuclear Forces Trea- weapons, which are not In the closing days of his
year. In response, the U.S. United States is prepared to ty last year, New START was limited by New START trea- reelection bid, Trump has
said it was ready for a quick meet immediately to final- the only remaining nuclear ty because it only restricts looked for ways to boost his
deal. ize a verifiable agreement. arms control deal between strategic nuclear arsenals. foreign policy record, and
In a statement, Russia's For- We expect Russia to em- the two countries. Last week, Russian Foreign although he says he fa-
eign Ministry outlined the power its diplomats to do Russia had offered to ex- Minister Sergey Lavrov ar- vors nuclear arms control,
shift in Moscow's position the same." New START was tend it without any condi- gued that Russia couldn't he has called New START
after last week's apparent signed in 2010 by then-U.S. tions, while the Trump ad- agree to the U.S. proposal flawed and unfavorable to
breakdown in the talks on President Barack Obama ministration had initially in- to limit tactical nuclear the U.S. Last year, he with-
New START, which expires and then-Russian President sisted that it could only be weapons alongside nucle- drew the U.S. from the INF
in February. It said Russia is Dmitry Medvedev. The renewed if China agreed ar warheads that arm stra- treaty with Russia, and he
prepared for a deal if the pact limits each country to join. China has refused tegic missiles and bombers waited until this year to be-
U.S. agrees to put forward to no more than 1,550 de- to consider the idea. until Washington agreed to gin engaging with the Rus-
no additional demands. ployed nuclear warheads The U.S. recently modified withdraw its nuclear war- sians on the future of New
The U.S. State Department and 700 deployed missiles its stance and proposed a heads from Europe. START. q

Judge rules NYC crosswalks fail to protect blind pedestrians

NEW YORK (AP) — Most to assess liability. noted that New York City
crosswalks in New York City The city is consistently work- has the highest population
violate laws protecting ing to make streets more density of any major Ameri-
people with disabilities by accessible for those who can city.
failing to properly protect are blind or have low vi- "Pedestrians with visual dis-
blind and low-vision pedes- sion, particularly by add- abilities often encounter
trians, a judge ruled Tues- ing devices that communi- danger, inconvenience,
day. cate with sounds, speech and humiliation while at-
U.S. District Judge Paul A. or vibrating surfaces, city tempting to use the City's
Engelmayer in Manhattan spokesperson Laura Feyer crosswalks," he wrote.
said the city has violated said. Of the city's 120,000 pe-
three laws protecting the The city will continue to destrian control signals,
disabled with its failure to work with the disabled nearly all of 13,200 signals
equip most crosswalk sig- community to make im- at 45,000 intersections only
nals to aid the blind or provements, she said. communicate crossing in-
those with bad eyesight. The ruling came in a law- formation in a visual for-
The judge said it is yet to be suit brought by a nonprofit mat, the judge said. Those
decided what the ramifi- corporation that represents signals are inaccessible
In this Jan. 27, 2014 file photo, a pedestrian is given direction to cations of the ruling will be people with vision disabili- to the blind leaving fewer
a crosswalk by a traffic agent in New York. because the first phase of ties. than 5% of signals that aid
Associated Press the court proceeding was In the decision, Engelmayer blind people, he said.q