Mr. Goosdeel affirmed that this situation shows that in order to be able to deal with future disasters, it is necessary to quickly change the perception that drugs are not a problem of only one person, but that it is affecting people. community at large in more ways. In the report, EMCDDA warned that drug addicts now have access to a wider range of drugs, with higher purity. In 2020 alone, 46 new drugs were discovered in the European Union (EU). In the context of many countries imposing restrictive measures to prevent and control the COVID-19 epidemic, whereby, discos and bars must close at night, reducing the drugs used on special occasions. parties such as ecstasy, consumption of some has increased significantly, especially the purchase and sale of the compound benzodiazepine, often prescribed for sedation. In addition, the EMCDDA report also noted that the authorities had seized a record amount of cocaine in 2019, with 213 tons, much higher than 177 tons in 2018, and the number of people who had to detox for the first time as well. Strongly increasing.

Last week, the administration of US President Joe Biden imposed sanctions on Russia. (Source: Getty) On April 23, White House top international economic aide Daleep Singh said that the US sanctions imposed on Russia last week had achieved “pretty close” results. Washington, amid tensions between the two countries over Ukraine, seems to have eased. “Our intention is to act adequately, to focus on our approach, as well as to signal that we are likely to cause greater losses if Russia continues,” Mr. Daleep Singh stated. To date, the results of the sanctions are quite close to our expectations. ” Earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry said it had begun withdrawing military units from the Crimean Peninsula to its permanent bases after deploying tens of thousands of soldiers near the Ukrainian border area, causing concern. afraid of war. Last week, the administration of US President Joe Biden imposed sanctions against Russia for “intimidating” Ukraine, meddling in the US election in 2020, cyber attacks and other actions. . Mr. Biden passed provisions to make it easier for officials to extend sanctions in any sector of the Russian economy in response to future aggression. However, Mr. Biden also stressed that he did not want to escalate tensions with Russia.

Russian President Putin and US President Biden. Photo: BBC

“When I spoke to President Putin, I expressed confidence that direct and personal communication between the two of us is essential to a more effective relationship. He agrees on that point.” – he said.

He added: “So I proposed that we meet face to face this summer in Europe for a summit to address a wide range of issues that both our countries are facing. face.”

According to him, “our teams are discussing this possibility right now.”

“And if that summit takes place and I believe it will happen, the US and Russia can launch a dialogue of strategic stability to pursue cooperation in arms control,” Biden stressed. and security ”.

“We can tackle important global challenges that require Russia and the US to work together, including curbing nuclear threats from Iran and North Korea, ending the global pandemic. and deal with the existing climate change crisis “- declared by US President.

In the same speech, Mr. Biden said he warned Russian President Vladimir Putin of the sanctions in a phone call he called a “straightforward, respectful conversation” on April 13.

“I have made it clear to President Putin that we can take more action, but I choose not to. I chose to respond accordingly. The US does not want to start a cycle of escalation and conflict with Russia. We want a stable, predictable relationship, ”Mr. Biden said at the White House on April 15.

The sanctions “send a signal that the United States will impose measures strategically and have an economic impact on Russia if it continues or escalates destabilizing international actions,” the White House said. know in a statement. “Our goal is not to escalate, to impose sanctions on what we feel is an unacceptable action by the Russian government,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said. before the press on April 15.

The White House said on April 15 that recent sanctions actions were also prompted by Moscow “targeting dissidents or journalists” and undermining “security in countries and regions.” important to US national security ”, referring to the recent Russian alleged poisoning of opposition leader Alexey Navalny and military consolidation along the Ukrainian border.

Mr. Biden has strained his relationship with Putin personally by agreeing with the view that Putin is a “killer”. The US President did not apologize and also refused to hold talks with the Russian President when Putin proposed a dialogue.

For a while, Mr. Biden continued to send signals that the US would punish Russia for its interference in the US’s internal affairs, including cyber attacks and election interference. At the same time, the US leader suggests direct dialogue with the Russian President.

For the past two days, Mr. Biden has repeatedly heated up American media about what he sees as a measure of pressure on Moscow, forcing it to pay the price for what it has done with America, while leaving the door open. the door to directly negotiate with Mr. Putin.

Analysts said that Mr. Biden’s actions in imposing new sanctions against the possibility of a live conference with Putin, will give Mr. Biden’s negotiating advantage.

Expert Lev Sokolschik, scientist of the Center for Integrated Research on European and International Affairs at Russia’s HSE State Research University, said that the US is continuing its policy of restraining Russia on all fronts. Important aspects include economic, military, political and using pressure in areas of interest to win the US over Russia.

The US has followed the roadmap: Announcing the summit proposal, negotiating and then imposing sanctions on dialogue with Russia with its strengths, the Russian expert said.

However, given the ever-confrontational nature of the Russia-US relationship, the actions of the US would immediately receive a response from Russia. The Russian side is also considering a number of retaliation sanctions and could be announced in the near future.

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan previously called the sanctions “adequate measures to protect US interests from harmful Russian actions including cyber intrusion and election interference”.

The recently announced measures include sanctions on six Russian companies that support domestic cyber operations, along with sanctions on 32 individuals and organizations allegedly trying. to interfere in last year’s presidential election.

The White House said 10 Russian diplomats were deported, including representatives of Russian intelligence agencies.

“What is currently being considered – possibly sanctions – will not help the meeting,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

The statement states that the decision made by the Polish Foreign Ministry was due to the fact that three Russian diplomats have engaged in activities that are inconsistent with diplomatic regulations and endanger Poland’s security.

Russian and Polish flags. Photo: Dreamstime

The statement also expressed Poland’s absolute support for the US measures taken against Russia on April 15.

It is known that earlier in a related development, the US government announced to impose large-scale sanctions on Russia. At the same time expelled 10 Russian diplomats, on the grounds of conducting cyber attacks and interfering in the US presidential election.

The British Foreign Ministry has summoned the Russian Ambassador regarding London’s deep concern about Russia’s hostile policy.

According to Russian media, the British Foreign Ministry has summoned Russian Ambassador to London Andrei Kelin, regarding Russia’s “hostile line of conduct”, the London Foreign Service said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Russian Ambassador to Warsaw, Sergei Andreev, was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland. According to diplomatic sources, the reason for the summons was related to “the introduction of new sanctions by the United States against Russia”. Another reason may be the situation on Ukraine’s eastern border.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.

“Such an act of aggression will be strongly opposed. The response to the sanctions will be inevitable … The responsibility for what is happening completely belongs to the US “- Ms. Zakharova said in a press conference.

According to Ms. Zakharova, US Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry to have a “difficult” conversation with the US side.

“We have repeatedly warned the United States about the consequences of their hostile actions, which represents the degree of confrontation between the two countries” – said Ms. Zakharova – “Such a (political) process. do not serve the people’s interests of the two leading nuclear powers, which are historically responsible for the fate of the world.

“In a phone call with the Russian President, Mr. Joe Biden expressed interest in the normalization of Russia-US relations. However, the actions of his administration showed the opposite “- the spokesman of the Russian Foreign Ministry emphasized.

Earlier, the United States imposed anti-Russia sanctions and expelled 10 diplomats in response to accusations of Moscow’s election meddling and cyber activities.

US President Joe Biden said he is ready to take further action if Moscow continues to “interfere in our democracy” but at the same time still hopes to improve relations with Russia.

Artwork: Reuters

Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health has identified nine provinces and cities as high-risk areas, including the capital Bangkok and the tourist city of Chiang Mai. Meanwhile, the National Security Council (NSC) and Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health are considering imposing new measures to cope with the demanded increase in the number of new Covid-19 cases. government. It is known that these two agencies are discussing a plan to impose a blockade on high-risk provinces such as Bangkok and Chiang Mai.

Thailand entered a serious new spread of Covid-19 in early April after a series of infections were discovered at bars and entertainment venues in Bangkok’s Thong Lor area.

According to DDC Thailand, the Covid-19 UK variant has been detected in new cases, with the majority of cases detected among adolescents and employees. About 90% of infections have mild symptoms or no symptoms. Notably, more than 50% of the country’s new infections are related to nightlife, including 64% in Bangkok and 52% in Chiang Mai.

Today (April 15), Thai health officials have confirmed 1,543 new cases of Covid-19, bringing the total number of cases in this country to 37,453 cases. In recent days, the number of new Covid-19 cases in Thailand has exceeded 1,000, raising concerns about the health system’s adaptability. Thai officials are currently focusing on deploying more field hospitals to improve their capacity to adapt to the current epidemic.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Joe Biden.

The sanctions are part of the US government’s response to Russia’s election meddling in the US and the launch of the SolarWinds cyber attack last December, according to the New York Times.

Sources say that among the Russian citizens that the US is preparing to impose sanctions are both government officials and intelligence services.

The Wall Street Journal also cited sources as saying that US President Joe Biden would issue a decree extending a ban on US banks from conducting transactions related to Russia’s national debt.

Earlier in January, the US Agency for Cyber ​​Security and Infrastructure (CISA) issued a joint statement by the FBI and several other agencies, under which Russia is likely to be behind the attack. Large-scale networks targeted at customers of the computer security firm SolarWinds.

According to Washington, the goal of the attack was to gather intelligence. However, it was later reported that the attackers did not gain access to sensitive information.

In mid-March, US intelligence released a new report, accusing Russian President Vladimir Putin of directing the Russian government’s influence campaigns to reduce the likelihood of Democratic candidate Joe Biden’s victory in elections in 2020 and deepening political divisions in America.

Advisor to US President Joe Biden on national security Jake Sullivan recently stated that in response to this attack the White House is ready to use a variety of methods, not only sanctions but also “tangible and intangible” tools.

The New York Times also wrote that the US is planning to carry out “secret counterattacks” on Russian systems.

The Kremlin rated the allegations as “completely unfounded” and said that this was just an excuse for the new sanctions. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia did not interfere in the US election and was not involved in cyber attacks.

The United States and three European powers, Britain, France and Germany, oppose Iran’s decision to increase the purity of enriched uranium to 60%, the news agency said. Reuters said.

US Foreign School Antony Blinken said the decision to increase uranium enrichment was a “provocative” move and raised questions about the seriousness of Tehran with nuclear talks.

“We take their (Iran’s) provocative statement very seriously regarding their intention to start uranium enrichment at 60%. I must say that this step raises the question of the seriousness of the uranium level.” of Iran for the nuclear talks “- Mr. Blinken said.

American Foreign School Antony Blinken. Photo: US Department of Foreign Affairs

Britain, France and Germany – the three countries of the P5 + 1 group that signed the historic nuclear deal – made a joint statement, concerned about Iran’s raising uranium enrichment levels and earlier mass activation of the machine. Advanced centrifugation at the Natanz (Iran) factory. These three countries said that Tehran’s moves were “contrary to the constructive spirit and goodwill to discuss”.

“Iran’s announcements are particularly unfortunate because they come at a time when all parties are involved in the deal and the US has begun substantive discussions, with the aim of finding a diplomatic solution. quick to renew and reinstate agreement “- UK, France, Germany wrote in a joint statement.

Meanwhile, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Archbishop Ali Khamenei criticized that the United States was trying to impose terms favorable to Washington during the negotiations, while Europe was said to be “bowing to people. America and does not act independently “.

Khamenei reiterated Iran’s stance, demanding that the sanctions be lifted before Tehran can fulfill its commitments to the P5 + 1.

The decision to begin enriching uranium at 60% was announced by Iran on April 14, just three days after the Natanz nuclear plant was “under terrorist attack”.

Before Iran made this decision, Iran enriched uranium at 20%, which is 3.67% higher than as bound in the nuclear agreement but much lower than the 90% required to be usable. in nuclear weapons.

However, both the US and Iran confirmed that they would continue to pursue the dialogue. On April 14, the White House Press Secretary said the indirect negotiations between the US and Iran would be resumed from April 15.