Germany plans to ban single-use plastic bags from next year, joining a growing movement to fight global pollution, the environment minister said Friday.
Supermarkets and other retailers will be barred from offering lightweight plastic carrier bags at their checkouts, including those now marketed as being biodegradable or being made from renewable sources instead of petroleum.
"The vast majority of Germans want this ban," said Environment Minister Svenja Schulze of the centre-left Social Democrats, introducing the initiative that she hopes to soon turn into law.
Breaches of the ban, set to take effect in the first half of next year, would threaten businesses with fines of up to 100,000 euros ($110,000), according to a report by Bild newspaper.
Plastic pollution, especially in waterways and oceans, is a major ecological hazard as it injures or kills marine and bird life, fouls beaches and creates giant floating garbage patches in oceans.
Scientists warn that, as plastic slowly breaks ...

Germany plans to ban single-use plastic shopping bags next year

PTI Automatic

Several countries hailed Zimbabwe's late ex-president Robert Mugabe on Tuesday as a liberation hero -- though his fierce critic, former colonial power Britain, recalled the suffering and repression of his rule.
Here is a selection of top world reactions to his death on Tuesday aged 95.
Mugabe "fought for the independence of the country from colonial rule, and lived most of his life in public service," said President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria, hailing him as the "founding father" of a nation.
"Mugabe's sacrifices, especially in struggling for the political and economic emancipation of his people, will always be remembered by posterity."
"We will remember former President Mugabe as a man of courage who was never afraid to fight for what he believed in even when it was not popular," said Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Mwai Kibaki, Kenyan president from 2002 to 2013, said Mugabe's death "marks the end of an era in Africa. It closes the chapter of Africa's founding presidents whose ...

Allies hail Mugabe, UK brands him 'autocrat'

An agreement with Britain to avoid a no-deal Brexit now appears impossible as the country is in "quite a mess", Finland's prime minister, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, said Friday.
"I hope that we can reach a situation where this (Brexit) can be solved so that there is no mess, but it seems not possible now," Antti Rinne told reporters after a meeting with European Parliament president David Sassoli in Helsinki.
"The situation in Britain is quite a mess now. We don't know what's happening there. It seems very obvious that we are not getting Brexit with an agreement".
On Thursday British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he would "rather be dead in a ditch" than delay Brexit beyond the current deadline of October 31, despite moves by members of the country's parliament to force a no-deal Brexit off the table.
Johnson has insisted that there has been "substantial progress" in talks with the EU to change the arrangements over the Irish border and thus open the path to ..

Brexit deal with UK 'seems not possible': Finnish EU presidency

The decision by Boris Johnson's brother to resign from the government has been a particularly heavy blow for the British prime minister, leaving him in a minority within his own family as well as the country's parliament.
Jo Johnson stepped down on Thursday, saying he could no longer reconcile family loyalties and the national interest.
It rounded off a humiliating week for Johnson in which MPs tore up his hardline Brexit strategy in a series of votes.
He told the BBC he was "very sad" at the news but tried to play it down saying: "Jo and I haven't seen eye-to-eye for a long time about the UK and the European Union".
In a rambling performance at a press event in Yorkshire later on Thursday, he said Brexit was "an issue that obviously divides families and divides everybody".
Jo Johnson, a former investment banker married to a journalist from the left-wing Guardian newspaper, had already resigned from government under Johnson's predecessor Theresa May to call for a second ...

Johnson family has Brexit battles of its own

Tethered between pastel-coloured wooden houses in the Greenlandic village of Kulusuk and on hills nearby, the island's famous sled dogs wait through the summer for the ice to form so their hunting season can begin.
Greenlanders prize the dogs for their endurance, using them to pull their sleds to hunt seals, whales and polar bears in the winter months when temperatures can drop to minus 35 degrees Celsius (minus 31 Fahrenheit).
But as the ice that covers 85 percent of Greenland melts and its winters grow unpredictable, climate change is casting a shadow over the much loved tradition in Denmark's autonomous territory.
"The ice is changing," says Moses Bajare, a 59-year-old musher from the village.
Snowmobiles are not used to hunt in east Greenland as hunting from boats has long been seen as an easier way to track seals and whales in these parts of the North Atlantic.
In winter, when the sea ice freezes, Bajare's team of 12 dogs pulls his wooden sled out to the edge of the sea ice. From 

In Greenland village, shorter winters cast doubts over dog sledding

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Friday the rights and freedoms of people in Hong Kong "must be guaranteed" after meeting with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in Beijing, her spokesman said.
Hong Kong has been plunged into months of pro-democracy protests, and ahead of her three-day visit to China this week demonstrators in the semi-autonomous city appealed to the German chancellor to support them in her meetings with China's leadership.
In a tweet Friday, spokesman Steffen Seibert quoted Merkel as saying: "The rights and freedoms of the people of Hong Kong must be guaranteed. Solutions can only be found in dialogue; do everything possible to prevent violence".
Merkel arrived in China on Thursday with a large business delegation in tow.
The businesses travelling with Merkel include Volkswagen, Allianz and Deutsche Bank according to the German daily Bild, which carried a headline Friday that read: "Do our companies not care about Hong Kong's freedom?"
Press access to her visit was ...

Merkel in Beijing says Hong Kong freedoms must be 'guaranteed'

Rain meant there was no play before lunch on the third day of the fourth Ashes Test between England and Australia at Old Trafford on Friday.
Although a heavier downpour had given way to light drizzle in Manchester, both the pitch and square at Lancashire's headquarters remained fully covered as the clock ticked round to the scheduled start time of 11:00 am (1000 GMT).
Although the skies started to brighten, the rain fell steadily enough to delay the resumption.
The umpires decided to bring lunch forward by 30 minutes to 12:30 pm, with a view to holding a pitch inspection at 1:00 pm in the event there was no further rain.
England will resume on 23-1, 474 runs behind Australia's commanding first innings 497-8 declared, with left-handed opener Rory Burns 15 not out and nightwatchman Craig Overton unbeaten on three.
Australia are well-placed thanks to Steve Smith's 211, his third Test century in four innings.
Smith, the world's top-ranked Test batsman, missed England's dramatic one-wicket 

No play before lunch on third day of fourth Ashes Test

Spin sensation Rashid Khan starred with bat and ball on Friday as Afghanistan took command in the one-off Test against Bangladesh here.
Rashid hit 51 off 61 balls to take Afghanistan to 342 in their first innings and then claimed 4-47 to leave Bangladesh struggling at 194 for eight at stumps on the second day.
Mominul Haque scored the only half-century for Bangladesh, 52 off 71 balls, while Mosaddek Hossain remained unbeaten on 44 to spare some blushes for the home side against the Test minnows.
Bangladesh lost a wicket in the very first over of their innings when Yamin Ahmadzai dismissed opener Shadman Islam for nought but Soumya Sarkar and Liton Das steadied the innings with a 49-run stand.
Mohammad Nabi removed Soumya leg-before for 17 before Rashid introduced himself in the attack with immediate impact as he bowled Liton for 33.
Rashid unleashed further destruction in his fifth over, trapping Shakib Al Hasan leg before for 11 and removing Mushfiqur Rahim for a duck two balls later 

Rashid's all-round show puts Afghanistan on top

Pope Francis on Friday told tens of thousands of faithful at a packed stadium not to resort to "vengeance" as he wound up a visit to Mozambique, ravaged by a 16-year civil war and now the target of jihadist attacks.
His maiden visit to the poor former Portuguese colony came a month after the government and the former rebel group Renamo, now the main opposition party, signed a historic peace treaty.
Brutal jihadist attacks in northern Mozambique have claimed more than 300 lives over two years and forced thousands from their homes.
"We cannot think of the future and build a nation" with violence, the pope said in a homily to a crowd of about 60,000 at the Zimpeto stadium in the Mozambican capital Maputo.
Speaking in Portuguese, he asked them not to follow the old law of retaliation "an eye for eye, a tooth for a tooth.
"No family, no group of neighbours or ethnic group and even less no country has a future if the motor that unites them... is composed of vengeance and hatred," he ...

Pope rails against 'vengeance' as he ends Mozambique visit

Brazilian women's discus thrower Andressa de Morais has been provisionally suspended over doping, the Athletics Integrity Unit said Friday.
The suspension follows a positive test for an anabolic steroid, the AIU said in a statement ahead of the world championships starting in Doha on September 27.
De Morais, 28, who is sixth in the world rankings, improved her South American record to 65.98 metres at the Pan American Games in Lima on August 6 and was on track for medal contention in Qatar.

Brazilian discus thrower suspended over doping

Rain delayed the start of the third day of the fourth Ashes Test between England and Australia at Old Trafford on Friday.
Although a heavier downpour had given way to light drizzle in Manchester, both the pitch and square at northwest county Lancashire's headquarters ground remained fully covered as the clock ticked round to the scheduled start time of 11:00 am (1000 GMT).
England will resume on 23-1, 474 runs behind Australia's commanding first innings 497-8 declared, with left-handed opener Rory Burns 15 not out and nightwatchman Craig Overton unbeaten on three.
Australia are well-placed in this match thanks to Steve Smith's 211 -- his third Test century in four innings.
Smith, the world's top-ranked Test batsman, missed England's dramatic one-wicket win in the third Test at Headingley with concussion suffered when felled by a Jofra Archer bouncer during the second match at Lord's.
This is former Australia captain Smith's first Test series since a 12-month ban for his role in a ...

Rain delays third day of fourth Ashes Test

Every February, in different venues around Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe would throw an extravagant birthday party with thousands of guests, huge cakes and a defiant speech.
But the annual jamboree also exposed the leader's declining health as his physical and mental strength drained away, his voice weakened and he appeared increasingly detached from the celebrations.
At his 89th birthday party in 2013, he showed little sign of fatigue, laughing and joking as he released 89 balloons into the sky and delivered a trademark fiery hour-long address.
But just four years on, Mugabe struggled to walk unassisted and sat impassively through proceedings at what would be his last birthday party as president before his ousting later in 2017.
When he spoke from a podium at that event, he appeared gaunt and badly stooped, mumbling and pausing at length between sentences, though he remarkably still talked for more than an hour.
Then the world's oldest ruler, having come to power in 1980, he needed help ...

Mugabe's lavish birthday parties an annual controversy

The High Court in London on Friday rejected a legal challenge against Prime Minister Boris Johnson's decision to order the suspension of parliament from next week.
The "claim is dismissed," Ian Burnett, the most senior judge in England and Wales, told the court after the challenge supported by former prime minister John Major.
But the court granted permission for  the case to be go to the Supreme Court for an appeal to be heard on September 17.
The case was brought by Gina Miller, a leading campaigner who previously won a Supreme Court bid to force the government to seek parliamentary approval before triggering the two-year negotiating process with the EU.
"My legal team and I will not give up the fight for democracy," Miller said outside the court after the hearing.
"We stand for everyone. We stand for future generations... To give up now would be a dereliction of our duty," she said.

Judges reject challenge to UK parliament suspension

Spin sensation Rashid Khan starred with bat and ball on Friday as Afghanistan began dominating Bangladesh in the one-off Test in Chittagong.
Rashid hit 51 off 61 balls to take Afghanistan to 342 in their first innings and then claimed three wickets, including one in his first over, leaving Bangladesh reeling at 88 for 5 by tea on the second day.
The home side lost a wicket in the very first over of their innings when Yamin Ahmadzai dismissed opener Shadman Islam for a duck but Soumya Sarkar and Liton Das steadied the innings with a 49-run stand.
Mohammad Nabi removed Soumya leg-before for 17 before Rashid introduced himself in the attack with immediate impact as he bowled Liton for 33.
Rashid unleashed further destruction in his fifth over, trapping Shakib Al Hasan leg before for 11 and removing Mushfiqur Rahim for a duck two balls later.
The spinner earlier led Afghanistan's batting charge with quick-fire 51 after they lost early wickets, having resumed the second day's play at ...

Rashid's all-round show leaves Bangladesh in tatters

The High Court in London on Friday rejected a legal challenge against Prime Minister Boris Johnson's decision to order the suspension of parliament from next week.
The "claim is dismissed," Ian Burnett, the most senior judge in England and Wales, told the court after a challenge supported by former prime minister John Major.

Judges reject legal challenge against UK parliament suspension

Beijing paid tribute to Zimbabwe's former leader Robert Mugabe whose death was announced Friday, saying he was an "outstanding national liberation movement leader and politician".
China was one of the staunchest supporters of Mugabe, who ruled with an iron fist from 1980 to 2017. His death at the age of 95 was announced by Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
"Mugabe was an outstanding national liberation movement leader and politician of Zimbabwe," said foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang at a press briefing in Beijing.
"Throughout his life, he has firmly defended the sovereignty of his country, opposed foreign interference, and actively promoted China-Zimbabwe and China-Africa friendship and cooperation," said Geng.
Relations between China and Zimbabwe date back to the liberation struggle of the 1960s, when Beijing provided arms and trained some of the top guerrilla leaders.
Beijing remained one of Mugabe's most powerful allies and a major trade partner, even as the West ...

China pays tribute to 'outstanding' Zimbabwe leader Mugabe

The Solomon Islands said Friday that no decision had yet been made on switching the Pacific island nation's diplomatic allegiance from Taiwan to China.
The Solomons are among only 17 nations to recognise Taiwan, but Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare vowed to review the relationship after he was elected in April.
A switch would reduce the number of nations backing Taiwan -- which Beijing regards as a renegade province -- as well as boosting China's influence among the strategically important Pacific isles.
For the Solomons, where less than half the population has access to electricity, the debate offers a chance to weigh up promises of aid from Taipei and Beijing.
Government frontbencher Peter Shanel Agovaka, who led a recent ministerial delegation to Beijing to discuss the issue, told a parliamentary committee this week that his preference was to recognise China.
"We cannot sit for the next 40 years with our friends Taiwan, it is time that we make new friends," he said, arguing links ..

Solomons say no decision yet in Taiwan-China debate

Hong Kong's reputation as a dependable financial hub took a hit on Friday after Fitch downgraded the city's sovereign rating, citing ongoing protests and uncertainty caused by closer integration with the Chinese mainland.
Millions of pro-democracy supporters have taken to Hong Kong's streets for the past three months in the biggest challenge to China's rule since its handover from Britain in 1997.
The sometimes violent protests have heaped pressure on the city's economy, which had already been coming under pressure from the US-China trade war.
In a statement on Friday, Fitch announced it was downgrading the city as an issuer of long-term foreign currency debt from an AA+ rating to AA with a negative outlook.
Bloomberg News reported that it is the first time the credit rating agency has made such a move since 1995, a period when uncertainty spiked over the city's handover to China.
"Ongoing events have... inflicted long-lasting damage to international perceptions of the quality and ...

Fitch downgrades Hong Kong citing protests and China fears

Robert Mugabe, who has died aged 95, used repression and fear to hold on to power in Zimbabwe for 37 years until he was finally ousted when his previously loyal military generals turned against him.
After his humiliating fall from office in November 2017, his phenomenal physical stamina seeped away rapidly.
First heralded as a liberator who rid the former British colony Rhodesia of white-minority rule, Robert Gabriel Mugabe will instead be remembered a despot who crushed political dissent and ruined the national economy.
The former political prisoner turned guerrilla leader swept to power in the 1980 elections after a growing insurgency and economic sanctions forced the Rhodesian government to the negotiating table.
In office, he initially won international plaudits for his declared policy of racial reconciliation and for extending improved education and health services to the black majority.
But his lustre faded quickly.  Mugabe had taken control of one wing in the guerrilla war for .

Mugabe: Liberation hero turned despot

Spin sensation Rashid Khan smashed his maiden Test half-century to help Afghanistan post 342 runs in the first innings of their one-off Test against Bangladesh in Chittagong on Friday.
The visitors then made a quick strike as pace bowler Yamin Ahmadzai dismissed opener Shadman Islam for a duck in the first over of the innings, reducing Bangladesh to 1-1 by lunch on the second day.
Rashid earlier led Afghanistan's batting charge with quick-fire 51 off 61 after they lost a few quick wickets early in the morning resuming the second day's play with 271-5.
Former skipper Asghar Afghan, who was unbeaten on 88 overnight, could add just four runs to his score before he gifted his wicket to left-arm spinner Taijul Islam.
Afghan attempted a slog sweep only to manage a leading edge as wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim completed a comfortable catch to deny the right-hander his first Test century.
Afghan departed for 92 after facing 172 balls and hitting three fours and two sixes.  Taijul then bowled ..

Rashid steers Afghanistan to 342, Bangladesh 1 for 1

Robert Mugabe, who led Zimbabwe with an iron fist from 1980 to 2017, has died aged 95, the country's president announced Friday.
First heralded as a liberator who rid the former British colony of Rhodesia of white minority rule, Mugabe used repression and fear to hold on to power in Zimbabwe until he was finally ousted by his previously loyal military generals.
"It is with the utmost sadness that I announce the passing on of Zimbabwe's founding father and former President... Robert Mugabe," Emmerson Mnangagwa said in a tweet.
"Mugabe was an icon of liberation, a pan-Africanist who dedicated his life to the emancipation and empowerment of his people. His contribution to the history of our nation and continent will never be forgotten."
Mugabe had been battling ill health, and his humiliating fall from office in November 2017, his stamina seeped away rapidly. He was hospitalised in Singapore for months for an undisclosed ailment, Mnangagwa had confirmed earlier this year.
No further ...

AFP

AFP

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