U.S. abortion struggle shifts to new battlegrounds
A Supreme Courtroom ruling on Friday that overturned the constitutional proper to abortion has unleashed a frenzy of exercise. Anti-abortion forces plan to push for near-total bans in each state within the U.S., whereas abortion rights teams have vowed to struggle again within the courts and push the Biden administration to do extra to guard abortion rights.
The court docket mentioned its ruling on Friday was wanted due to what it known as a half-century of bitter nationwide controversy sparked by Roe v. Wade, however its resolution set off extra quick and widespread rancor and mobilizing than the unique ruling — and assured pitched battles and extraordinary division forward.
Demand for medical abortion is rising, as abortion tablets, already utilized in greater than half of latest abortions within the U.S., have gotten much more sought-after within the aftermath of the ruling. They may probably be on the heart of the authorized battles which are anticipated to unfold as about half the states ban abortion and others take steps to extend entry.
G7 leaders talk about extra sanctions for Russia
Assembly in Germany this weekend, leaders of G7 nations mentioned they might cease shopping for gold from Moscow and mentioned a brand new American proposal to undercut its oil revenues. U.S. officers see the measures as methods to shrink key sources of income for Moscow’s struggle effort in Ukraine and additional isolate it from the worldwide monetary system. Observe the newest updates from the struggle.
The session got here as Russian forces rained missiles on Kyiv for the primary time in weeks, hitting an residence constructing and killing no less than one particular person. The highest three flooring of the nine-story constructing had been reported destroyed. Russia additionally escalated its use of cruise missiles throughout the nation over the weekend, launching dozens of strikes. Monitor the place the strikes had been reported.
Talking final night time, Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, made a plea to the individuals of Belarus, whose army forces are conducting army drills close to the Ukrainian border. “So much now will depend on the atypical individuals of Belarus,” he mentioned. “And I do know that you would be able to refuse to take part on this struggle. Your lives belong solely to you, to not somebody within the Kremlin.”
Gold: The metallic is Russia’s second-most invaluable export after power merchandise. Most of these exports go to G7 nations, notably Britain, via the gold buying and selling hub of London. Russia did practically $19 billion in gold exports in 2020, nearly all of it going to Britain.
Associated: The struggle has hampered the struggle in opposition to local weather change as nations deal with discovering fossil fuels — even coal — to make up for misplaced Russian oil.
France’s far proper surges in parliamentary elections
A far-right get together, the Nationwide Rally, triumphed in final week’s parliamentary elections in France, with a report 89 lawmakers elected. It got here after Marine Le Pen, the get together’s chief, was defeated in a second-round runoff within the presidential race by Emmanuel Macron, the incumbent.
Fueled by anger in opposition to Macron and enabled by the collapse of the standard mainstream proper, the outcomes got here as a shock even inside the Nationwide Rally’s personal ranks. “I might be mendacity if I advised you that I wasn’t stunned,” mentioned Philippe Olivier, a particular adviser to Le Pen, who described the outcomes as “a tidal wave.”
For years, Le Pen has tried to sanitize her get together’s picture, mission competence and put a softer face on her resolutely nationalist and anti-immigrant platform. The outcomes now make it the second largest get together in Parliament behind Macron’s get together, which doesn’t have an absolute majority.
Results: For the primary time because the Nineteen Eighties, Le Pen’s get together has sufficient seats to type a parliamentary group — the one solution to get leverage within the decrease home. Nationwide Rally lawmakers can now convey a no-confidence vote and use their talking time and amending energy to have an effect on the legislative course of, amongst a number of different new capabilities.
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Different Large Tales
Mansaf, the Jordanian nationwide dish, is a milky mountain of mutton and rice historically eaten by hand from a big communal platter. A restaurant in Amman that sells servings to go a paper cup is now going through imitators — and critique from traditionalists.
“Destruction begins with small particulars,” warned one foreboding newspaper column, which accused the restaurant of debasing the nationwide dish and eroding the cultural foundations of the nation itself.
Anatomy of a product placement
Perrier glowing water, containers of Cheerios, Apple laptops: Product placement has lengthy been a function of Hollywood, writes the critic Sophie Haigney for The Instances. Now, amid the rise of streaming — and as prospects skip advertisements — manufacturers are aiming to be all over the place all of sudden. Product placement is now a $23 billion trade, up an estimated 14 p.c since 2020.
In 1896, the Lumière brothers, typically credited because the earliest filmmakers, agreed to function cleaning soap of their movie “Washing Day in Switzerland.” Nowadays, product placement should stroll a skinny line between displaying off the product and fading seamlessly into the background.
Companies now join manufacturers with scriptwriters, producers, set decorators and prop-masters, who may in flip work them into story traces. A Montblanc pen may talk a personality’s wealth or standing; a feminine whiskey drinker typically has a “badass” edge, mentioned Erin Schmidt, who works on the company BEN, the place the product helps additional the narrative.
Learn extra about the key world of product placement.
