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The Kremlin expressed alarm on Wednesday that the "Doomsday Clock" had edged closer to midnight than ever, even though the scientists who moved the symbolic dial cited Moscow's own "thinly veiled threats" to use nuclear weapons.

The "Doomsday Clock," created by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists to illustrate how close humanity has come to the end of the world, on Tuesday moved its "time" in 2023 to 90 seconds to midnight, 10 seconds closer than it has been for the past three years.

Midnight on this clock marks the theoretical point of annihilation. The clock's hands are moved closer to or further away from midnight based on scientists' reading of existential threats at a particular time.

"The situation as a whole is really alarming," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, calling for a sober appraisal of the tensions between Russia and the West over the Ukraine crisis.

He said there was no prospect of any detente, based on "the line that was chosen by NATO under U.S. leadership".

"This imposes on us a duty to be particularly careful, to be alert and to take appropriate measures," he added.

On Tuesday, the Bulletin's president cited repeated warnings by President Vladimir Putin and other Russian politicians that Moscow might be prepared to use nuclear weapons as a key factor in the decision to advance the dial of the "Doomsday Clock".

"Russia's thinly veiled threats to use nuclear weapons remind the world that escalation of the conflict by accident, intention or miscalculation is a terrible risk," Rachel Bronson told a news conference in Washington. (reuters)

After U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen called China a "barrier" to debt reform in Africa this week, Chinese officials in Zambia had a pointed response - get your own house in order.

The Chinese Embassy in Zambia said on its website Tuesday "the biggest contribution that the U.S. can make to the debt issues outside the country is to act on responsible monetary policies, cope with its own debt problem, and stop sabotaging other sovereign countries' active efforts to solve their debt issues."

Republicans in the House of Representatives are using a risky, unusual threat to refuse to vote in a new debt ceiling, a figure that reflects money already spent and now owed by the government, to pressure the Biden administration and Democrats to cut spending programs. So far, the Biden White House is refusing to negotiate, counting on hardline Republicans to step back under pressure from businesses, investors and moderates.

U.S. national debt is about $31 trillion, a figure that has skyrocketed since 2000's $5.6 trillion thanks in part to increased spending for an aging population, outlays for Iraq and Afghanistan wars, COVID-19 programs and tax cuts that trimmed revenues.

Yellen and International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva arrived separately in Zambia Sunday to highlight the need for debt reform in Africa.

Zambia defaulted on its debt in 2020 and has made little progress to restructure it with Chinese and private creditors to date, a situation that has helped pushed citizens into poverty.

The world's poorest countries faced $35 billion in debt-service payments to official and private-sector creditors in 2022, more than 40% of which was due to China, the World Bank said.

The U.S. Federal Reserve's rate increases, designed to tame inflation at home, and the appreciating U.S. dollar have added to African countries' debt service burden, the African Development Bank said last week. (reuters)

President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that there were shortages of some medicines in Russia, despite the country producing more of its own drugs, and suggested building up stocks of popular medicines to help meet demand.

While prescription drugs are exempt from Western sanctions imposed over the war in Ukraine, their delivery to Russia has been hit by transport, insurance and customs hurdles caused by the war and other restrictive measures, industry figures say.

"There has been a shortage of some drugs, despite the fact that we saw production of pharmaceutical products in the (first) three quarters of last year grow by about 22%," Putin said in a televised meeting with government officials.

"Sixty percent of medicines on the market are domestic drugs. Nevertheless, a deficit has formed in some drugs, and prices have risen."

He added that Russia does not restrict imports of drugs and continues to work with foreign manufacturers.

"We need to ensure there are supplies of the most popular drugs within a certain period of time," he said, suggesting that Russia could stockpile drugs for the flu season in the same way it builds up gas reserves in preparation for winter.

Shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year, Russians rushed to stock up on drugs, with people buying a month's worth of medicine in just two weeks.

Russia also imports a large share of its medical equipment, such as pacemakers and radiotherapy devices, from the European Union and the United States, and its reliance is particularly acute for the most complex and critical machines. (reuters)

Germany said on Wednesday it would supply its Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, overcoming misgivings about sending heavy weaponry that Kyiv sees as crucial to defeat the Russian invasion but Moscow casts as a provocation.

Pressure has been building for weeks on German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's government to send the tanks and allow other NATO allies to do the same ahead of expected spring offensives by both sides.

Scholz's government had stalled, wary of moves that could prompt Russia to escalate or suck the NATO alliance into becoming a party to the conflict.

Germany's decision paves the way for other countries such as Poland, Spain, Finland and Norway to supply some of their Leopard tanks to Ukraine, going some way towards delivering the hundreds of tanks that Ukraine says it needs, especially if the United States follows suit.

"This decision follows our well-known line of supporting Ukraine to the best of our ability. We are acting in a closely coordinated manner internationally," Scholz said in a statement.

The goal was to quickly establish two battalions with Leopard 2 tanks for Ukraine, the statement said, adding that Germany would initially provide 14 Leopard 2 tanks from its own inventory.

A battalion normally comprises three or four companies with around 14 tanks each. Poland has also pledged 14 tanks and Britain has promised 14 of its own Challengers.

Training of Ukrainian troops in Germany will begin soon, and Germany will also provide logistics and ammunition, it said.

Germany will also issue the appropriate transfer permits to partner countries that want to deliver Leopard 2 tanks quickly to Ukraine from their own stocks, it said.

U.S. TO FOLLOW?

The Leopards, used by armies across Europe, are widely seen as the best option for Ukraine as they are available in large numbers and relatively easy to deploy and maintain.

In tandem, Washington may also drop its opposition to sending perhaps dozens of its M1 Abrams tanks to Kyiv.

While the Abrams is seen as less suitable for Ukraine due to its heavy fuel consumption and greater maintenance needs, such a move could ease German concerns about presenting a united front among Ukraine's allies.

"The battle tanks strengthen Ukraine against Putin. It is an important step that the USA participates alongside the Leopard. German diplomacy has contributed to this togetherness," German Finance Minister Christian Lindner said.

Russia has cast deliveries of heavy weapons to Ukraine as proof that the West is escalating the war.

An ally of President Vladimir Putin said it would lead to a global catastrophe. Russia's ambassador to the United States on Wednesday called deliveries of battle tanks by Washington "another blatant provocation".

Kyiv has pleaded for months for Western tanks, which it says will give its forces the firepower and mobility to break through Russian defensive lines and recapture occupied territory in the east and south.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak welcomed Germany's decision, writing on Twitter: "Together, we are accelerating our efforts to ensure Ukraine wins this war and secures a lasting peace."

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki thanked German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in a tweet that said: "The decision to send Leopards to Ukraine is a big step towards stopping Russia." (Reuters)