Countries call for binding targets to cut plastic production after talks fail

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Group of 85 countries and blocs press for ambition in plastic waste treaty after no agreement was reached in Busan

Binding global targets to cut plastic production must be at the centre of any continuing negotiations to secure the world’s first treaty to tackle plastic waste, a group of 85 countries has said.

Talks in Busan, South Korea, attempting to secure agreement between more than 200 countries on the details of a plastic pollution treaty ended in failure over the weekend.

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Russia races ahead of NATO in weapons production for Ukraine war: SIPRI – Al Jazeera English

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  1. Russia races ahead of NATO in weapons production for Ukraine war: SIPRI  Al Jazeera English
  2. Wars, Regional Tensions Boost Arms Sales: Report  Barron's
  3. SIPRI: Weapons trade booming worldwide, especially in Russia  DW (English)
  4. World's top 100 defence groups boost arms sales by 4% in 2023, think tank SIPRI says  Reuters
  5. Why China’s defence companies aren’t cashing in on a global arms sale surge  South China Morning Post
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How Ukraine uses cheap AI-guided drones to deadly effect against Russia – The Economist

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  1. How Ukraine uses cheap AI-guided drones to deadly effect against Russia  The Economist
  2. Ukraine sees use of uncrewed ground vehicles, AI-targeting drones surging next year  Reuters
  3. Ukraine is relying on drones to hold back Russian advances. Troops on the frontline are fearing the worst  CNN
  4. Ukraine's Angry Birds  Tablet Magazine
  5. In Ukraine, Drones Play A Deadly Game Of ‘Tag’ With The Russians  Forbes
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Romania’s Social Democrats on course to win parliamentary majority despite far-right surge

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Centre-left PSD looks to have held off far-right challenge, with 70% of Romanians voting for mainstream parties

Romania’s ruling Social Democrat party (PSD) was on course to win the most votes in Sunday’s parliamentary elections, holding off a strong far-right surge that could yet deliver the country’s presidency to a Moscow-friendly ultranationalist.

Amid uncertainty as to whether the constitutional court would on Monday order the first round of the presidential ballot to be rerun, officials said that with 99.5% of votes counted, the centre-left PSD was credited with 22.6% of the vote.

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Russia’s Economy Is Slowing, Opening Fissures Over Policy – The New York Times

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  1. Russia’s Economy Is Slowing, Opening Fissures Over Policy  The New York Times
  2. Russia’s plunging currency spells trouble for its war effort  The Economist
  3. Russian central bank intervenes as rouble tumbles past 110 to the dollar  Reuters
  4. Russia’s ruble is still worth less than a penny, and the Kremlin’s piggy bank for propping it up is running low  Yahoo Finance
  5. Russia May Soon Have to Choose Between Guns and Butter  Bloomberg
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Israel Builds Bases in Central Gaza, a Sign It May Be There to Stay – The New York Times

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  1. Israel Builds Bases in Central Gaza, a Sign It May Be There to Stay  The New York Times
  2. Digging in, IDF builds dozens of bases in and around expanded Netzarim Corridor – NYT  The Times of Israel
  3. Israeli military to remain in Gaza for years, food minister says  The Guardian
  4. Satellite images reveal expanding IDF fortifications in Gaza amid buffer zone construction  Ynetnews
  5. Gaza Strip Military Zones Explained: IDF's New Three-Division Strategy | War Day 423 Analysis  All Israel News
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Georgian opposition leader arrested after fourth night of protests

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Police detained Zurab Japaridze as he was leaving rally outside parliament against suspension of EU accession talks

Georgian police have arrested a prominent opposition leader after using water cannon and teargas to scatter anti-government protesters who rallied outside parliament for a fourth consecutive night.

The protests were sparked by the government’s announcement last week that it was suspending talks on joining the EU. Critics saw that as confirmation of a Russian-influenced shift away from pro-western policies, something the ruling party denies.

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German chancellor Olaf Scholz pledges €650m in military aid to Ukraine on Kyiv visit

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Scholz said Germany was ‘strongest supporter of Ukraine in Europe’ and promised speedy arms deliveries

Olaf Scholz has met the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in an unannounced visit to Kyiv that was his first since the early months of full-scale war as he sought to reassure Ukraine of German support.

The German chancellor announced a military aid package worth €650m (£540m) during the trip amid doubts over his Ukraine policy at home and uncertainty over the upcoming presidency of Donald Trump and what it may mean for the war in Ukraine.

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NHS bosses reportedly worried about Starmer’s pledge to cut waiting lists

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PM expected to set target to carry out 92% of routine operations and appointments within 18 weeks

NHS bosses are said to be privately concerned about Keir Starmer’s ambitious targets to cut waiting lists for routine operations, set to be announced later this week, which will also include specific targets on living standards and housebuilding.

The prime minister is expected on Thursday to set a target for 92% of routine operations and appointments to be carried out within 18 weeks, one that has not been achieved in almost a decade, the Times has reported.

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Weather tracker: lake-effect snow blankets parts of north-east US

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There was significant snowfall in five states downwind of the Great Lakes, including 4ft in western New York state

As meteorological autumn drew to a close at the end of last week, parts of the north-east of the US saw substantial snowfall thanks to a phenomenon known as “lake-effect snow”.

This occurs when cold air passes over relatively warm lake waters, causing the layer of air near to the surface to absorb heat and moisture. Warmer than the air above it, this layer of air then starts to rise, cooling and condensing into clouds that deposit snow on the windward side of the lakes in extremely localised bands.

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French government faces no-confidence vote on Wednesday

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PM Michel Barnier tells MPs they face ‘moment of truth’ after left and right lodge motions censuring government

The French government appears likely to fall this week after leftwing and far-right parties lodged motions of no confidence in response to the prime minister’s decision to push through a belt-tightening budget without a vote.

If passed by MPs, the motions, which will be put to a vote in the national assembly on Wednesday, will bring down the government and force Michel Barnier’s resignation after only two and a half months.

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More than three-quarters of UK universities join fossil fuel pledge, say activists

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Move to exclude fossil fuel firms from investment portfolios follows years of campaigning by staff and students

More than three-quarters of UK universities have pledged to exclude fossil fuel companies from their investment portfolios, according to campaigners.

The move, which is part of a wider drive to limit investment in fossil fuels, follows years of campaigning by staff and students across the higher education sector.

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Philippines: Three dead and dozens sick after eating sea turtle stew – BBC.com

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  1. Philippines: Three dead and dozens sick after eating sea turtle stew  BBC.com
  2. 3 dead, dozens hospitalized after eating sea turtle stew in the Philippines  CBS News
  3. Health warning issued as sea turtle meat kills 3, downs 35 in Maguindanao del Norte  Rappler
  4. 3 die, 31 hospitalized after feasting on cooked sea turtle  Inquirer.net
  5. 3 dead, 30 hospitalized due to food poisoning in Maguindanao del Norte  GMA News Online
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