Fight the future

Performing an abortion will be a felony in Oklahoma once a bill signed into law Tuesday by Governor Kevin Stitt takes effect in August after it passed through the state House last week. The new law would put medical professionals who perform abortions at risk of being charged with a felony and possibly facing up to 10 years in prison and up to $100,000 in fines. The only exception provided in the bill is for abortions performed because the pregnancy threatens the life of the mother. Dozens of states have introduced or passed bills placing restrictions on abortion ahead of a highly anticipated Supreme Court ruling in a suit fighting a Mississippi abortion ban that some have warned could significantly alter or overturn the legal precedent set by Roe v. Wade in 1973. The new Oklahoma law has been condemned by reproductive rights groups and Democratic lawmakers, with White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki saying in a statement that the "unconstitutional attack on women's … [Read more...] about Oklahoma abortions set to be felonies after Governor Kevin Stitt signs bill

In this second and concluding part of a one-hour interview given to N. Ram at ‘Temple Trees' in Colombo, Mahinda Rajapaksa , Sri Lanka's President, responds to questions about his ambitious initiative for a trilingual Sri Lanka, the role of the English language, the contentious 18th constitutional amendment, the jailing and conviction of General Sarath Fonseka, the status and future of 11,000 hard-core LTTE cadres and supporters, and relations with India. You have taken a special interest in language policy. You have announced a Ten Year Presidential Initiative for a Trilingual Sri Lanka and before that the initiative to promote English. This seems to have been thought out over the long term. How do you see this going? Last year was the Year of English and Information Technology. With that the people started spoken English, they started learning English. So I thought the best thing was that all Sinhalese must learn Tamil now, the Tamils must learn Sinhala, and they must all … [Read more...] about ‘Help us bring the communities together’

Wheat prices surged to a new record high in European trading on Monday after India decided to ban exports of the commodity as a heatwave hit production. The price jumped to 435 euros (Rs 35,260) per tonne as the Euronext market opened, up from the previous record of 422 euros (Rs 34,180) reached on Friday. On the Chicago Board of Trade, just before trading opened the price of the SRW wheat futures contract hit $12.35 (Rs 961) a bushel, an increase of 4.9 per cent. Global wheat prices have soared 40 per cent on supply fears since Russia’s February invasion of agricultural powerhouse Ukraine, which previously accounted for 12 per cent of global exports. The spike, exacerbated by fertiliser shortages and poor harvests, has fuelled inflation globally and raised fears of famine and social unrest in poorer countries. India, the world’s second-largest wheat producer, said on Saturday that it was banning exports after its hottest March on record, with traders needing express government … [Read more...] about Wheat Prices Hit Record High in European Trading After India Bans Export Due to Scorching Heatwave

Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday held a virtual conference with India’s leading entrepreneurs amid the prevailing second wave of Covid-19 and praised the industry for stepping up in the fight against the pandemic. Addressing more than 150 senior industry captains in a virtual interaction organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in Delhi, the finance minister emphasised the need for adopting a micro-containment zone strategy in order to effectively with the second surge of the pandemic. On meeting the phenomenal increase in the demand for medical oxygen, a critical treatment tool to fight Covid-19, Sitharaman assured that the Centre is working to ensure a seamless supply to states. Measures that the government is taking include importing medical oxygen, round the clock working of the oxygen filling stations and allowing containers used for nitrogen and argon to be used for oxygen, the Finance Minister added. The … [Read more...] about FM Sitharaman Assures Seamless Supply of Oxygen, Remdesivir, Stresses on Micro-containment