Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday surveyed drills carried out by his nuclear-capable forces as Moscow pressed unfounded claims to India and China that Ukraine was developing a "dirty bomb.". Footage of the drills across state media came after Russia's Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu pressed ahead with telephone calls to his counterparts globally, claiming that Ukraine was developing a "dirty bomb".
Germany on Wednesday paved the way to legalising the purchase and possession of small amounts of marijuana for recreational use, a step which would leave it with one of the most liberal cannabis policies in Europe.. In the Netherlands, seen as a pioneer on cannabis policy, the sale, possession and consumption of small amounts of the drug has been tolerated by authorities since 1976.
Across virtually every sector, the greening of the global economy is unfolding far too slowly to stave off climate catastrophe, according to a sobering report Wednesday from a consortium of research organisations.. "We are not winning in any sector," said Ani Dasgupta, head of the World Resources Institute, one of half-a-dozen climate policy think tanks that contributed to the report.
The first formal peace talks between the warring sides in the brutal two-year conflict in Ethiopia's Tigray region entered day two in South Africa on Wednesday.. The dialogue between negotiators from the Ethiopian government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and the regional authorities in war-stricken Tigray came almost two months to the day since fighting resumed, shattering a five-month truce.
Germany on Wednesday paved the way to legalising the purchase and possession of small amounts of marijuana for recreational use, as well as its production.. Under the proposals, people over 18 years old would be allowed to keep between "20 and 30 grams" of dried cannabis, which would be sold in authorised stores and pharmacies, according to a summary seen by AFP. Germany would allow the domestic production of cannabis by licensed businesses, as well as giving adults the possibility to keep up to three plants for their own supply.
Germany's coalition government on Wednesday allowed a Chinese firm to buy a reduced stake in a Hamburg port terminal, after Chancellor Olaf Scholz resisted calls to ban the controversial sale outright over security concerns.. Under the compromise agreed by Scholz's cabinet, Chinese shipping giant Cosco will be allowed to buy a stake "below 25 percent" in the Tollerort container terminal owned by HHLA, the economy ministry said in a statement.
International climate pledges remain far off track to limit temperature rises to 1.5 degrees Celsius, according to a UN report released Wednesday, less than two weeks ahead of high-stakes negotiations to tackle global warming.. "We are still nowhere near the scale and pace of emission reductions required to put us on track toward a 1.5 degrees Celsius world," said Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary of UN Climate Change.
French President Emmanuel Macron will host German Chancellor Olaf Scholz for lunch Wednesday, with the leaders hoping to pare back differences on energy and defence and revitalise the European Union's key double act.. "The two leaders will continue their talks on defence, the economy and energy with the aim of strengthening Franco-German cooperation," the presidency said in a statement.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak could postpone an eagerly-awaited budget plan due next week, a senior minister said Wednesday, as the youthful new leader gets down to business after weeks of political turmoil. . As well as mending Britain's wounded finances, Sunak is also pledging to reunite the Conservatives after another bruising leadership contest, mere weeks after Johnson was forced out.
Germany's coalition government on Wednesday allowed a Chinese firm to take a smaller-than-planned stake in a Hamburg port, after Chancellor Olaf Scholz resisted calls to ban the controversial sale outright.. Scholz, a former Hamburg mayor, had supported the sale and has repeatedly stressed the importance of strong trade ties with China.
