Axios

Russia is violating the terms of the New START nuclear arms control treaty by refusing to allow on-site inspections, the State Department said Tuesday.

Why it matters: It's the first time the U.S. has accused Russia of breaching the terms of the agreement, which seeks to limit the long-range nuclear weapons programs of the U.S. and Russia, per the Wall Street Journal.

A proposed change to how the U.S. Census and other federal agencies ask what race Hispanic people are is drawing mixed responses, including concerns that Latinos' multiracial backgrounds will not be adequately measured.

Why it matters: The data collected from those forms is key to determining political representation and the allocation of billions of dollars in federal funds.

The vision of a truly open global economy is fading as countries adopt import and export bans, use tariffs as geopolitical leverage, and reroute investment and supply chains in the face of sanctions.

Why it matters: Democratic countries are increasingly using economic security as a crucial way to protect themselves from China and Russia.

Lusaka, Zambia — The first test for African debt restructuring in a post-COVID world is playing out in Zambia, a land-locked country bigger than Texas, rich in copper and loaded with Chinese debt — and so poor that most of its population lives on less than $2 dollars a day.

Why it matters: If Zambia, China and international creditors cannot come to an agreement on how to restructure Zambia's debt, other African countries might get a glimpse of their fate. It's not pretty.

Officials in Pakistan said Tuesday the death toll from a suicide bombing at a mosque in the northwestern city of Peshawar has increased to 100, per AP.

Driving the news: At least 225 people were injured in Monday's attack, which took place as more than 300 worshippers were gathered inside the mosque. Most of those killed or injured were police officers, per Al Jazeera.

The International Monetary Fund raised its 2023 global growth outlook Monday, driven by easing inflation, China reopening its economy and resilient demand in the U.S. and Europe.

What to expect: The IMF expects global growth to slow from 3.4% in 2022 to 2.9% this year — up from the 2.7% it predicted in October when it said "for many people 2023 will feel like a recession."

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Monday defended the Biden administration's new border policy designed to curb illegal border crossings in the face of a lawsuit from Florida and 19 other states challenging the program.

Why it matters: The states argue in the suit against the Department of Homeland Security that the program allowing up to 30,000 migrants a month from Cuba, Venezuela, Haiti and Nicaragua to live and work in the U.S is an executive power overreach and in violation of federal immigration law.

Secretary of State Tony Blinken urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during their meeting in Jerusalem on Monday to build a broad consensus around his judicial overhaul plan.

Why it matters: Blinken's comments are the most significant and strongest remarks the Biden administration has made about the Netanyahu government's plan to weaken Supreme Court and other democratic institutions.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged Western nations to speed up their weapons deliveries to Ukraine on Sunday as Russia continued its attacks on eastern Ukraine.

The big picture: Ahead of an anticipated springtime offensive by Russia, Zelensky said Moscow "hopes to drag out the war, to exhaust our forces."

Mining giant Rio Tinto apologized Monday as authorities in Western Australia searched for a tiny radioactive capsule that went missing in the vast Australian state.

Driving the news: A radiation alert was issued across parts of W.A. after the capsule containing a small amount of radioactive Caesium-137 vanished while being transported from Rio Tinto's Gudai-Darri mine in the remote Pilbara region to a storage facility about 870 miles away in state capital Perth, authorities said.

Auckland authorities are urging residents to stay home if possible ahead of a second atmospheric river event forecast to hit Tuesday after record rainfall flooded much of New Zealand's largest city Friday.

The impact: At least four people have died after Auckland officials declared a state of emergency late Friday, after floodwaters inundated much of the city and many areas recorded their wettest-ever day. Further flooding was reported after more heavy rain over Sunday night.

Former U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson claims in a new BBC documentary that Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened him with a missile during an "extraordinary" phone call before the Ukraine invasion.

What he's saying: "He threatened me at one point, and he said, 'Boris, I don't want to hurt you but, with a missile, it would only take a minute' or something like that. Jolly," Johnson told the documentary, "Putin vs. the West," airing in the U.K. on Monday.