Colombia’s potential cocaine output up 1.5% in 2019, says U.N. drug agency
Potential production of pure cocaine hydrochloride in Colombia was up by 1.5% last year to 1,137 metric tonnes, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said on Wednesday, even as the areas planted with primary ingredient coca decreased.
Trump to meet with Poland’s Duda at White House next week
U.S. President Donald Trump will meet with Polish President Andrzej Duda in Washington next week, the first visit by a foreign leader to the White House since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
Azeris stuck at Russian border clash with riot police, witnesses say
(This June 18th story corrects to show that Derbent district is in Russia, not in Azerbaijan)
New French coronavirus deaths under 30 again
The number of people who died from coronavirus infection in France rose by 28 to 29,575 on Wednesday, down sharply versus Tuesday when the weekly data for nursing homes were included.
Namibia faces red locust invasion
Namibia’s Ministry of Agriculture said on Wednesday it had detected an outbreak of red locusts in central regions of the southern African country and had sent pest control teams to the affected areas.
Hitler’s birthplace shows that confronting dark past can take decades
As anti-racism protesters topple statues of slave traders and colonisers worldwide, some nations are pondering how to mark their dark past. In Austria, debate over confronting one link to Adolf Hitler has taken decades, and it’s not over yet.
Portugal parliament approves amended budget for coronavirus crisis
Portugal’s parliament approved in the first reading on Wednesday a supplementary budget that increases spending by 4.3 billion euros ($4.8 billion) to help the coronavirus-battered economy.
Amazon forest fires could increase risk of serious coronavirus infections
An intense season of fires in the Amazon rainforest this year could overwhelm health systems and lead to unnecessary deaths, including of coronavirus, as pollution worsens respiratory conditions, public health experts said on Wednesday.
Britain removes protection from Churchill statue for Macron visit
Workmen began removing protective hoarding around a statue of Britain’s wartime leader Winston Churchill on Wednesday ahead of a visit from French President Emmanuel Macron, after the monument was covered up during racial equality protests.
Lithuania mints ‘coin of hope’ to remember year of pandemic
Lithuania began minting a collector’s coin, dubbed a “coin of hope”, on Wednesday to mark the year of the new coronavirus and pay tribute to doctors, nurses and others who helped the country weather the pandemic.
