March 29, Wednesday, 2023 (1:30 p.m.) Newsline read by Mr. Koga Hajime

1. Myanmar’s military-appointed election commission has announced that the political party led by Aung San Suu Kyi will be dissolved as of Wednesday. The military, which seized power in a coup in 2021, enacted a new law on the registration of political parties in January. 2. A US senior official says Washington has decided to stop providing Russia with information on strategic nuclear weapons, citing Moscow’s failure to comply with the New START nuclear arms control treaty. White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby noted that the pact is important not only for the two countries but for the world. He said that the US would prefer to be able to share information again, but Russia must show the same willingness.
3. Japan and the United States have signed an agreement to support EVs that run on batteries produced in Japan. The deal aims to strengthen supply chains for key minerals used in EV batteries. The two countries announced the deal on Tuesday. The minerals covered in the pact include lithium, nickel and cobalt.