Briefly

SWEDEN

Pair honored for new way to make molecules

The Nobel Prize for chemistry has been awarded to German scientist Benjamin List of the Max Planck Institute and Scotland-born scientist David W.C. MacMillan of Princeton University. They were cited for their work in developing a new way for building molecules known as "asymmetric organocatalysis". The Nobel panel said List and MacMillan in 2000 independently developed a new way of catalysis. "It's already benefiting humankind greatly," said Pernilla Wittung-Stafshede, a member of the Nobel panel. The prestigious award comes with a gold medal and $1.14 million.

RUSSIA

Negotiation to revive Iran deal to resume

Talks on reviving Iran's nuclear deal will resume soon in Vienna, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said on Wednesday at a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Moscow. Interfax news agency reported quoted Abdollahian as saying that Teheran had received "signals" that Washington－which abandoned the 2015 nuclear pact under the previous administration－was once again interested in implementing it. Russia's Foreign Ministry said earlier on Wednesday that Lavrov had discussed the issue of reviving the Iranian deal in a telephone call with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

UNITED STATES

Nuclear bomb numbers revealed

The State Department published on Tuesday the number of nuclear warheads the country stockpiles for the first time in four years, after former president Donald Trump placed a blackout on the data. As of Sept 30, 2020, the US military maintained 3,750 active and inactive nuclear warheads, down by 55 from a year earlier and by 72 from the same date in 2017. The figure was also the lowest level since the US nuclear stockpile peaked at the height of the Cold War with Russia in 1967, when the total was 31,255 warheads. The numbers were released amid an effort by the administration of President Joe Biden to restart arms controls talks with Russia after they stalled under Trump.

SPAIN

Volcano on La Palma island roars louder

A volcano that has already destroyed nearly 1,000 buildings on a Spanish island increased its explosive power on Tuesday, roaring louder and spewing thicker lava out of its main vent. The volcanic eruption started on Sept 19 and has forced the evacuation of over 6,000 residents of the island of La Palma in the Canary Islands archipelago off the northwest coast of Africa. The Canary Islands Volcanology Institute, Involcan, said on Tuesday that activity in the La Palma volcano had become "explosive, with falling pyroclasts and bombs". According to Involcan's calculations, the volcano has emitted at least 250,000 tons of sulfur dioxide and 35 million cubic meters of magma.

Agencies - Xinhua