A rare united message clearly blames Russia for the poisoning of former spy Sergei Skripal
Hello, this is Anna getting you up to speed this Thursday.
Cold War II? - The leaders of Britain, the US, Germany and France have released a joint statement condemning the Salisbury nerve agent attack, at the same time as saying it is highly likely that Russia carried it out. This rare unified message from Theresa May, Donald Trump, Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron is the product of extensive UK efforts to drum up international support in wake of the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter. ‘This use of a military-grade nerve agent, of a type developed by Russia, constitutes the first offensive use of a nerve agent in Europe since the second world war,’ the statement reads.
‘It is an assault on UK sovereignty and any such use by a state party is a clear violation of the chemical weapons convention and a breach of international law. It threatens the security of us all. The United Kingdom thoroughly briefed its allies that it was highly likely that Russia was responsible for the attack. We share the UK assessment that there is no plausible alternative explanation, and note that Russia’s failure to address the legitimate request by the UK government further underlines its responsibility.’
Microplastic - The World Health Organisation (WHO) announced a review into the potential risks of plastic in drinking water after a new analysis of some of the world’s most popular bottled water brands found that more than 90% contained tiny pieces of plastic.
Myanmar repatriation - Embattled Myanmar has announced it is willing to take back fewer than 400 Rohingya refugees of the 8,000 who have said they would return from Bangladesh. U Myint Thu, Myanmar’s permanent secretary for foreign affairs, said they had deemed only 374 eligible for repatriation. Myanmar blamed Bangladesh for the slow process.
Get happy - Finland has beaten out Norway to become the happiest nation on earth, according to a UN report. The 2018 World Happiness Report also finds that Burundi in east Africa, marred by civil wars and coup attempts, is the unhappiest place in the world.
More bloodshed in Syria - Thousands of civilians are fleeing a town in the rebel-held Eastern Ghouta region outside Syria's capital, Damascus, as government forces advance. State television showed pictures of men, women and children leaving the town of Hamouria. It is the biggest exodus from the enclave since the military stepped up an offensive to retake it last month.
It’s a twin thing - Results from NASA's Twins Study reveal that 7% of astronaut Scott Kelly's genes did not return to normal after his return to Earth two years ago. The study examines an extensive comparison with his identical twin, Mark, who remained on Earth. NASA has learned that the formerly identical twins are no longer genetically the same.