'Top Gun: Maverick' becomes the first $1 billion Tom Cruise film

CNN World News - Mon, 06/27/2022 - 09:47
"Top Gun: Maverick" has flown to new heights.
Categories: World News

Toxic gas leak at Jordan's Aqaba port kills 10, injures hundreds

BBC World News - Mon, 06/27/2022 - 09:40
A chemical container was dropped by a crane and exploded at the port of Aqaba, authorities say.
Categories: World News

Abortion Providers in Wisconsin Will Be Granted Clemency, Gov. Tony Evers Says

TruthOut - Mon, 06/27/2022 - 09:12

Over the weekend, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) condemned the recent Supreme Court ruling upending abortion protections across the country, and vowed to legally protect anyone charged under an 1849 anti-abortion law that may go into effect in the state.

At a political rally on Saturday, as Democrats in Wisconsin were gathering in La Crosse for their annual convention, the governor said that the Court’s ruling on Friday — which ended nearly 50 years of abortion protections that were established by the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision — was wrongly decided.

Because of the ruling from the far right Court, a statute from 1849 will likely go back into effect in Wisconsin. That law penalizes anyone “other than the mother” who performs an abortion with a felony crime. It grants exceptions for cases where a physician determines that a person’s health is jeopardized by a pregnancy, but only after two other physicians agree to make an exception. The law makes no exceptions for rape or incest.

The normally reserved Evers said that the ruling affected him and his family personally, and used an expletive to show his anger over the decision.

“I have seven granddaughters who are girls or young women,” Evers said on Saturday. “Yesterday they” and others who are able to become pregnant “were made second-class citizens, and that’s bullshit.”

Yesterday, women in Wisconsin became second class citizens. That’s BS. pic.twitter.com/I4imrWy3q4

— Tony Evers (@Tony4WI) June 25, 2022

Evers, who is up for re-election in this year’s midterm races, added that he’d use his gubernatorial powers to grant clemency to any Wisconsin physician that is convicted of performing an abortion that is not in compliance with the 1849 statute, which outlaws almost all forms of the procedure.

“These decisions should be made between a woman and her doctor, family, and faith,” Evers said during the rally, adding that he didn’t believe a law “written before the Civil War, or before women secured the right to vote” should determine people’s choices regarding their reproductive health.

In a pre-taped interview that aired on Saturday, Evers said that his office was looking at ways to prevent the 1849 law from taking effect. “We’re going to do everything we can under my power, whether it’s executive action or working with others on opportunities to fight this,” he said.

Evers joins a growing list of officials who are pledging not to enforce restrictive laws or outright bans on abortion in their jurisdictions. Shortly after the Supreme Court issued its ruling ending Roe, a group of more than 80 district attorneys and other elected officials, organized through the Fair and Just Prosecution group, said that they would not charge physicians or patients with crimes around abortion. The group represents 90 million residents in the U.S. across 29 different states.

“Not all of us agree on a personal or moral level on the issue of abortion. But we stand together in our firm belief that prosecutors have a responsibility to refrain from using limited criminal legal system resources to criminalize personal medical decisions,” the attorneys said in a statement.

Categories: World News

Chinese censors scrub internet after party official speaks on timeline of zero-Covid

CNN World News - Mon, 06/27/2022 - 09:05
Chinese censors scrambled to delete what appears to be a misleading quote by a senior Communist Party official published in state media Monday, which claimed the "zero-Covid" policy would remain in place in Beijing "for the next five years," in an effort to tame an online backlash.
Categories: World News

Ukraine war: G7 pledges to stay with Ukraine until the end

BBC World News - Mon, 06/27/2022 - 09:04
Under pressure to be united against Russia, the West promises support "for as long as it takes".
Categories: World News

Brittney Griner: Russian court decides US star to stand trial on drug charges

BBC World News - Mon, 06/27/2022 - 09:02
American basketball star Brittney Griner is scheduled to stand trial in Russia on Friday on charges of illegal cannabis possession.
Categories: World News

West pushes Russia into its first foreign debt default since 1918

CNN World News - Mon, 06/27/2022 - 08:58
Russia has defaulted on its foreign debt for the first time since the Bolshevik revolution more than a century ago.
Categories: World News

Wimbledon player comes to the aid of ball boy

CNN World News - Mon, 06/27/2022 - 08:39
Jodie Burrage came to the aid of an unwell ball boy during her first round Wimbledon match on Monday, providing sweets and energy gel before he was helped off the court.
Categories: World News

Melilla migrant deaths spark anger in Spain

BBC World News - Mon, 06/27/2022 - 08:35
At least 23 migrants died on Friday when a crowd tried to cross into Spain's North African enclave.
Categories: World News

Novak Djokovic starts Wimbledon with slight scare

CNN World News - Mon, 06/27/2022 - 08:26
Novak Djokovic got his Wimbledon title defense off to a winning start on Monday, but he had to work hard for his 6-3 3-6 6-3 6-4 victory against world No. 81 Kwon Soon-hoo.
Categories: World News

NATO Will Increase Ranks of “High-Readiness” Forces by 650 Percent

TruthOut - Mon, 06/27/2022 - 08:17

The head of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization announced Monday that the military alliance will dramatically increase the ranks of its high-readiness forces from 40,000 at present to “well over 300,000” — a 650% boost — as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine rages on for the fifth consecutive month.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg painted the planned move, which alliance leaders are set to adopt during a summit in Madrid this week, as part of the 30-member organization’s efforts to bolster its defense of the Baltic nations, which have been clamoring for a “credible military construct… that will deter” Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“These troops will exercise together with home defense forces, and they will become familiar with local terrain facilities… so that that they can respond smoothly and swiftly to any emergency,” Stoltenberg said during a press conference on Monday.

“We will also boost our ability to reinforce in crisis and conflict,” he continued, “including with: more pre-positioned equipment, and stockpiles of military supplies; more forward-deployed capabilities, like air defense; strengthened command and control; and upgraded defense plans, with forces pre-assigned to defend specific allies.”

Stoltenberg characterized Russia as “the most direct and immediate threat” to the security of NATO, which is also weighing Finland and Sweden’s recent applications to join the military alliance.

Putin, for his part, has repeatedly cited NATO’s eastward expansion and the U.S.-led alliance’s positioning of troops and weaponry near Russia’s border as a danger to his country’s security, sparking fears that additional NATO troop mobilizations could further inflame tensions between Russia and the West as diplomatic efforts sputter.

“This is not the path to peace and will not make the world safer,” warned the U.K.-based Stop the War Coalition. “This will cause more death and destruction. We say no to NATO escalation as well as Russian troops out.”

Categories: World News

Ukraine: Missile strikes busy shopping centre in Kremenchuk

BBC World News - Mon, 06/27/2022 - 08:12
Images show the building completely ablaze, and at least two people have been confirmed dead.
Categories: World News

Ilhan Omar Urges Impeachment Investigations Into Right-Wing Justices

TruthOut - Mon, 06/27/2022 - 07:56

Rep. Ilhan Omar on Sunday demanded that the U.S. House launch impeachment probes into right-wing Supreme Court justices as part of a broader plan to reform the nation’s chief judicial body following its decision to end the constitutional right to abortion.

Omar (D-Minn.), the whip for the Congressional Progressive Caucus, argued that Justice Clarence Thomas should be investigated for his “role in the January 6th coup,” a reference to his wife Ginni’s close involvement in efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

Justices Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett should face congressional inquiries for potentially lying to lawmakers about their views on Roe v. Wade, the Minnesota Democrat added, echoing her progressive colleague Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.).

“Congress… has the authority to impeach members of the Supreme Court and has done so before,” Omar noted in a series of tweets on Sunday as much of the nation reeled from the far-reaching implications of the court’s decision Friday, which had an immediate impact across the country as people were turned away from abortion clinics.

We need an impeachment investigation into Clarence Thomas’s role in the January 6th coup, as well as into Gorsuch, Alito, Barrett, and Kavanaugh’s testimony on Roe during their confirmation hearings.

— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) June 26, 2022

5 justices confirmed by a POTUS who lost the popular vote.
4 lied under oath.
2 credibly accused of sexual assault.
1’s seat literally stolen.
1’s spouse implicated in a coup attempt.

It is not enough to tell people to vote. We need a comprehensive plan to fix this court.

— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) June 26, 2022

Omar also pushed Democratic leaders to embrace longstanding progressive calls for the repeal of the Senate filibuster rule and support legislation that would add four justices to the Supreme Court — a proposal that President Joe Biden opposes.

“Congress can change the number of justices on the court at any time, and has done so seven times throughout history,” Omar wrote Sunday. “In the face of stolen seats, a sitting justice implicated in a coup attempt, and a dangerous crisis of legitimacy, it should absolutely be on the table.”

With Democratic campaign arms moving quickly to place abortion rights at the center of their midterm messaging, Omar implored her party’s leadership to recognize that “it is not enough to tell people to vote.”

“We need a comprehensive plan to fix this court,” Omar wrote. “And yes, we need you to demand your members of Congress support reform and vote for members who do. But we as leaders need to articulate a clear and bold reform agenda that meets the seriousness and danger of this moment. That is step #1.”

Categories: World News

US Supreme Court: Should this coach have been punished for praying?

BBC World News - Mon, 06/27/2022 - 07:25
A high school coach should have been able to pray on the field at school, the US Supreme Court said.
Categories: World News

In Michigan, abortion could come down to voters in November

NPR - Mon, 06/27/2022 - 06:47

Abortion is still legal in Michigan but it's the subject of litigation, is moving toward the ballot as a state constitutional amendment and will be a big issue in the competitive race for governor.

(Image credit: Paul Sancya/AP)

Categories: World News

Ukraine war: People in siege city Lysychansk ordered to leave

BBC World News - Mon, 06/27/2022 - 06:38
Residents of the front-line city of Lysychansk are ordered to leave as Russian forces push forward.
Categories: World News

Democrats are bankrolling ads promoting fringe Republican candidates. Here's why

NPR - Mon, 06/27/2022 - 05:27

As the midterm primary season rolls along, voters may have noticed a strange phenomenon of political advertising: Democrats paying for ads supporting Republican candidates.

(Image credit: House Majority PAC)

Categories: World News

Nato plans huge upgrade in rapid reaction force

BBC World News - Mon, 06/27/2022 - 05:25
Jens Stoltenberg said the increase followed a direct threat from Russia to European security.
Categories: World News

150,000-year-old fossil dunes could offer clues to Noah's flood

CNN World News - Mon, 06/27/2022 - 04:16
Drive an hour or so southeast out of the city of Abu Dhabi toward the emirate's empty deserts and you'll hit a landscape full of unexpected man-made creations.
Categories: World News

South Africa police try to unravel tavern deaths tragedy

BBC World News - Mon, 06/27/2022 - 04:09
Most of the 21 who died in the sudden and unexplained incident were teenagers, the police minister says.
Categories: World News

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