WORLD NEWS FLASH
UNITED STATES
A shocking upcoming court decision has been exposed by an even more shocking act.
Politico obtained a draft of a Supreme Court ruling deciding the fate of Roe v. Wade, the case that ensured a woman’s right to an abortion. The outlet is reporting five of the six conservative Justices want to overturn the landmark ruling, with Justice Samuel Alito writing the opinion.
While the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade is stunning in its own right, the fact that Politico got their hands on an unreleased Court opinion is even more stunning, as it means that someone had leaked it, which is an unprecedented breach of ethics. Chief Justice Roberts, who was likely the lone conservative Justice who dissented, vowed to find whoever was responsible.
As conservatives were incensed by the leak, liberals were far more incensed by the destruction of the abortion rights decision. Among those is President Joseph R. Biden.
“First, my administration argued strongly before the Court in defense of Roe v. Wade. We said that Roe is based on “a long line of precedent recognizing ‘the Fourteenth Amendment’s concept of personal liberty’… against government interference with intensely personal decisions.” I believe that a woman’s right to choose is fundamental, Roe has been the law of the land for almost fifty years, and basic fairness and the stability of our law demand that it not be overturned,” Biden said upon learning of the Court’s intended decision.
“Second, shortly after the enactment of Texas law SB 8 and other laws restricting women’s reproductive rights, I directed my Gender Policy Council and White House Counsel’s Office to prepare options for an Administration response to the continued attack on abortion and reproductive rights, under a variety of possible outcomes in the cases pending before the Supreme Court. We will be ready when any ruling is issued.
“Third, if the Court does overturn Roe, it will fall on our nation’s elected officials at all levels of government to protect a woman’s right to choose. And it will fall on voters to elect pro-choice officials this November. At the federal level, we will need more pro-choice Senators and a pro-choice majority in the House to adopt legislation that codifies Roe, which I will work to pass and sign into law.”
Vice President Kamala D. Harris also chimed in, saying, “The United States Supreme Court has now confirmed that the draft opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade is genuine.
“Roe ensures a woman’s right to choose to have an abortion. It also, at its root, protects the fundamental right to privacy. What is clear is that opponents of Roe want to punish women and take away their rights to make decisions about their own bodies. Republican legislators in states across the country are weaponizing the use of the law against women.
“The rights of all Americans are at risk. If the right to privacy is weakened, every person could face a future in which the government can potentially interfere in the personal decisions you make about your life. This is the time to fight for women and for our country with everything we have.”
New Jersey Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Ruiz issued the following statement on the draft Supreme Court opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey:
“I went to bed early and woke up in the middle of the night to the news that we could be facing a nightmare. In New Jersey, we prepared for the possibility that Roe v. Wade would be overturned. I am grateful that Senator Loretta Weinberg championed a bill that I co-sponsored that protects a women’s right to choose in New Jersey. But this isn’t just about us. This is about every woman in America and the future of our daughters. This pending U.S. Supreme Court decision is a step backward on our reproductive freedoms.”
WORLD
JOURNALISTS HONORED
The Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) was named on April 26 as the winner of this year‘s UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize, following the international jury‘s recommendation.
The BAJ was formed in 1995 as a non-governmental association of media workers with the objective of promoting freedom of expression and independent journalism in Belarus.
It brings together over 1,300 associated journalists, and is a member of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ).
Since the disputed presidential election in Belarus in August 2020, which drew millions onto the streets in protest during the ensuing months, basic human rights have been in the crosshairs.
In March this year, the UN human rights office produced a Human Rights Council-mandated report on the situation in the European nation, which said the Government’s continuing crackdown had violated the rights of hundreds of thousands.
“The examination not only lays bare the violations inflicted on people trying to exercise their fundamental human rights, but highlights the inability of victims to access justice,” said UN rights chief, Michelle Bachelet.
In August 2021, following a police raid on the office of the BAJ, the Supreme Court of Belarus ordered the dissolution of the organization, at the request of the country’s Ministry of Justice.
“By awarding the prize to the BAJ, we are standing by all journalists around the world who criticize, oppose and expose authoritarian politicians and regimes, by transmitting truthful information and promoting freedom of expression”, said Alfred Lela, Chair of the Prize‘s international jury, and founder and director of an Albanian media organization.
“Today we salute and praise them; we find a way to say: we are with you, and we value your courage.”
The head of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, noted that for 25 years, the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano Prize “has been calling the world’s attention to the bravery of journalists around the world who sacrifice so much in the pursuit of truth and accountability.
“Once again, we are inspired by their example and reminded of the importance of ensuring the right of journalists everywhere to report freely and safely.”
The $25,000 Prize recognizes outstanding contributions to the defense or promotion of press freedom especially in the face of danger. It is named after Guillermo Cano Isaza, the Colombian journalist who was assassinated in front of the offices of his newspaper El Espectador in Bogotá, Colombia, on Dec. 17, 1986.
It is funded by the Guillermo Cano Isaza Foundation (Colombia), the Helsingin Sanomat Foundation (Finland), the Namibia Media Trust, Democracy & Media Foundation Stichting Democratie & Media (The Netherlands), and the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
The 2022 World Press Freedom Day Global Conference will take place from May 2 to 5 under the theme Journalism under Digital Siege.
The Conference will discuss the impact of the digital era on freedom of expression, the safety of journalists, access to information, and privacy.
ASIA
INDIA & PAKISTAN HEATING UP (AND NOT ON A CRICKET PITCH)
With extreme heat gripping large parts of India and Pakistan, the two countries are working to roll out life-saving health action plans to combat the heatwave, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on April 29.
The extreme heat is impacting hundreds of millions of people in one of the most densely populated parts of the world, threatening to damage whole ecosystems.
Working closely with health and disaster management agencies, the national meteorological and hydrological departments in both countries, plan to roll out heat health action plans, which have been successful in saving lives in the past few years, said the UN weather agency in a statement.
Extreme heat has multiple and cascading impacts not just on human health, but also on ecosystems, agriculture, water and energy supplies and key sectors of the economy.
WMO reiterated its commitment to “ensuring that multi-hazard early warning services reach the most vulnerable.”
Both India and Pakistan have successful heat-health early warning systems and action plans already in place, including those specially tailored for urban areas.
They reduce heat mortality and lessen the social impacts of extreme heat, including lost work productivity.
Important lessons have been learned from the past and these are now being shared among all partners of the WMO co-sponsored Global Heat Health Information Network, to enhance capacity in the hard-hit region, WMO advanced.
The India Meteorological Department said that maximum temperatures reached 43-46°C in widespread areas, on April 28, and that this intense heat will continue until May 2.
Similar temperatures have also been seen in Pakistan, with daytime temperatures likely to be between 5°C and 8°C above normal in large swathes of the country, said the Pakistan Meteorological Department.
They also warned that in the mountainous regions of Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkwa, the unusual heat levels would accelerate snow and ice melt, with the possibility of triggering glacial lake floods – or flash floods in vulnerable areas.
Air quality has also deteriorated, and large swathes of land are at risk of fire outbreaks.
According to WMO, “it is premature to attribute the extreme heat in India and Pakistan solely to climate change”, however, the agency continues “it is consistent with what we expect in a changing climate.”
Furthermore, heatwaves are more frequent and more intense and starting earlier than in the past. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), in its recent Sixth Assessment Report, also said that heatwaves and humid heat stress would be more intense and frequent in South Asia this century.
The current heatwave was triggered by a high-pressure system and follows an extended period of above average temperatures.
India recorded its warmest March on record, with an average maximum temperature of 33.1 ºC, or 1.86 °C above the long-term average.
Pakistan also recorded its warmest March for at least the past 60 years, with a number of stations breaking March records.
In the pre-monsoon period, both India and Pakistan regularly experience excessively high temperatures, especially during May.
EUROPE
HEALTH EXPERTS FRET OVER OBESITY
Obesity rates have reached “epidemic” proportions across Europe and are still rising, the World Health Organization (WHO) Office for the region said in a report published on May 3.
Nearly two thirds of adults, 59 percent, and almost one in three children – 29 percent of boys and 27 percent of girls – is either overweight or obese, the study has revealed.
Being chronically overweight and obesity are among the leading causes of death and disability in Europe. Estimates suggest they cause more than 1.2 million deaths annually, which corresponds to more than 13 percent of total mortality in the region.
Obesity also increases the risk for non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including 13 different types of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and type 2 diabetes. It is likely to be directly responsible for at least 200,000 new cancer cases annually across the region, and this figure is set to rise further in the coming years.
WHO said none of the 53 countries that comprise its European region is on track to meet the agency’s NCD target of halting the rise of obesity by 2025.
Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic has also disproportionately affected overweight people and those living with obesity.
WHO said patients with obesity are more likely to experience complications and death from the virus. Many have also experienced disruptions in accessing obesity management services due to the crisis.
Meanwhile, “unfavorable shifts” in food consumption and physical activity patterns during the pandemic will have effects on health in the years ahead and will require significant effort to reverse.
Obesity knows no borders, said Dr. Hans Kluge, the WHO Regional Director, adding that although European countries are diverse, each is challenged to some degree.
“By creating environments that are more enabling, promoting investment and innovation in health, and developing strong and resilient health systems, we can change the trajectory of obesity in the Region,” he said.
The report lays out a series of interventions and policy options for Governments to tackle obesity, emphasizing the need to build back better after the pandemic.
WHO explained that the causes of obesity “are much more complex than the mere combination of unhealthy diet and physical inactivity.”
Latest evidence presented in the report highlights how vulnerability to unhealthy body weight in early life can affect a person’s tendency to develop obesity.
Environmental factors are also driving the rise in obesity in Europe, including digital marketing of unhealthy food to children, and the proliferation of sedentary online gaming, according to the report, which also examines how digital platforms might be used to promote health and well-being.
“Obesity is influenced by the environment, so it is important to look at this problem from the perspective of every stage of life. For example, the life of children and adolescents is impacted by digital environments, including marketing of unhealthy food and drinks,” said Dr Kremlin Wickramasinghe, Acting Head of the WHO European Office for the Prevention and Control of NCDs, which produced the report.
