Political Prisoners Day & Trump's Nuclear Test Order

The US Senate is considering a resolution to recognize October 30 as International Day of Political Prisoners. Senators Wicker, Whitehouse, and Shaheen introduced the resolution, expressing support for those unjustly jailed for their beliefs.

Resolution 472, before the Senate Foreign Relations group, denounces political control. It notes about a million people globally are political prisoners, including journalists and activists.

The Senate wants the government to hold oppressive governments responsible and raise awareness to free political prisoners via talks.

The resolution mentions the imprisonment of voices in Belarus, China, Cuba, Egypt, Iran, Myanmar, Russia, Turkey, and Venezuela.

While Azerbaijan isn't named, rights groups say it has around 400 political prisoners, including journalists and activists. The Azerbaijani government denies this, saying these people committed crimes. Rights groups claim some journalists and activists were arrested for their work and criticism and want this to stop.

About 30 international rights groups, including Freedom House and Amnesty International, support recognizing the day.

October 30 was started in 1974 by Soviet political prisoners protesting harsh conditions. Kronid Lyubarsky, a Soviet dissident, helped start it. They wanted to support political prisoners and protest the suppression of freedom. In 1991, Russia made it a day to remember victims of political oppression.

In recent years, groups such as the Human Rights House Foundation and Amnesty International have recognized October 30 as International Political Prisoners' Day.

Separately, former US President Donald Trump ordered the military to resume nuclear weapons testing to catch up with countries like Russia and China.

Trump claimed the US has the largest arsenal, followed by Russia and China. He had earlier criticized Russia for testing a nuclear-powered missile.

Trump said that although nuclear weapons have huge power, the US needed to renew its arsenal and the China's program could match the US in five years.

Trump didn't give specifics on the tests, but that it would begin right away. This reverses a long-standing US policy, as the last US test was in 1992, before a moratorium at the end of the Cold War.

Trump's statement came before his meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.