Yesterday, British Columbia started a drug decriminalization program which permits the possession of up to 2.5 grams of hard drugs, including opioids, cocaine, methamphetamine, and MDMA, with the aim to avoid punishing drug users by instead supporting them with appropriate health resources. First announced in May 2022, the federal government
Amid a Russian-declared ceasefire marking Orthodox Christmas, Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of the Russian mercenary company Wagner Group, called for Russian and Wagner forces to capture the city of Bakhmut in Ukraine’s Donbas region because of the logistical benefits of its “underground cities.” The Wagner Group has contributed a significant number
On October 31, President Biden threatened to raise taxes for oil companies that choose not to reinvest their profits into production. This comes as gas prices reached $3.76 per gallon according to AAA, down a few cents from $3.79 a few weeks ago, but still higher than when the 99-day
On September 21st, Rwandan President Paul Kagame, speaking to the United Nations General Assembly, advocated for international cooperation to promote global health and public-private partnerships to create technology jobs involving artificial intelligence across Africa. Kagame’s claim, “the future is digital,” mirrors his past attempts to anticipate new opportunities for Rwanda’s
Less than a month after U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, the U.S. Navy sent the warships USS Chancellorsville and USS Antietam through the Taiwan Strait. The U.S. considers the strait international waters, a claim that China disputes, and has conducted other freedom of navigation manoeuvres in
In a July 30th address where he implored Ukrainian residents of Donetsk to flee their homes amidst intense Russian attacks in the province, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also called on the U.S. State Department to recognize the Russian government as a terrorist state. Zelensky’s plea comes as support grows in
Snake Island, an island captured by Russia on the first day of its invasion of Ukraine, was abandoned by Russian forces on June 30th. Ukraine’s southern operational command claimed to have caused “significant losses” on Snake Island from its strikes, while the Russian Defense Ministry stated that the withdrawal was
On June 13th, Finland’s parliament speaker Matti Vanhanen promoted the idea of jointly organizing the air defense control in the Arctic Circle between the Nordic countries Finland, Norway, and Sweden at an event discussing N.A.T.O. and security policy with Norweigan prime minister Jonas Gahr Stoere. This statement comes as Sweden
Before the Summit of the Americas occurred in Los Angeles from June 6-10, State Department Spokesperson Ned Price stated that the U.S. “understands” Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s decision to not attend. López Obrador objected to the U.S.’s decision not to invite Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, choosing to send
On May 16th, Finnish Ambassador to Germany Anne Sipilainein claimed to the German newspaper Die Welt that Finland is “well prepared for all kinds of possible threats [from Russia] – not only military but also cyber hybrid attacks and information operations.” This statement comes a day after Finland’s President Sauli
In a report viewed by Reuters on May 30th, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) claimed that Iran failed to sufficiently explain the existence of three undeclared sites, Marivan, Varamin, and Turquzabad, that house uranium particles. Iran called for the IAEA to end its investigation into the sites, an issue
On April 29th, a report by British judge Gary Hickenbottom on the current status of the British Virgin Islands’ government announced findings of corruption involving millions of dollars of state funds spent without proper process, dishonest sales of public property, and abuse of appointments. Governor-General of the British Virgin Islands
Before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin elucidated his view of Ukrainian statehood. He said, “Modern Ukraine was entirely and fully created by Russia, more specifically the Bolshevik, communist Russia. This process began practically immediately after the 1917 revolution, and moreover Lenin and his associates did it
On April 18th, Turkey launched airstrikes and engaged in a cross-border land offensive against militants of the Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK) and the Syrian-Kurdish People’s Defense Units (YPG) militia groups in northern Iraq. The attack targeted sites ranging from camps to ammunition storage in the Iraqi regions of Metina, Zap,
On April 11th, protestors gathered in Khartoum and other Sudanese cities to commemorate the ouster of President Omar al-Bashir and condemn the current military government of General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. These protests occurred despite harsh crackdowns by Sudanese security forces, which have claimed 94 lives, and while many protestors fast
The Russian Foreign Ministry declared to United States Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan in a March 21st meeting that diplomatic relations between the two states are “on the verge of rupture.” This announcement retorts U.S. President Biden’s assertion to White House reporters that Russian President Putin is a “war criminal”
On April 4th, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (I.P.C.C.) released a report declaring that the world must drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions within the next three years to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. The report notes that emissions need to reach their peak by 2025 and reduce
On March 28th, Indonesia proposed the standardization of COVID-19-related health requirements for traveling to the members of the group of 20 major economies (G20). According to Setiaji Setiaji, an aide to the Indonesian Health Ministry, this proposal includes the creation of a global website able to verify the vaccination status
