6 minute read

US court saves abortion pill access, for now

WASHINGTON—The US Supreme Court on Friday temporarily preserved access to a widely used abortion pill, freezing rulings by lower courts that would have banned or severely restricted availability of the drug.

Two conservative justices disagreed with the decision in the most significant abortion case to reach the nine-member court since it overturned the constitutional right to the procedure 10 months ago.

In delivering a one-paragraph decision, the court did not comment on the merits of the case brought by anti-abortion groups seeking a ban on the abortion drug, mifepristone.

But their order means that mifepristone, which accounts for more than half of the abortions in the United States, will remain available while the case plays out in an appeals court.

The Justice Department of President Joe Biden had filed an emergency appeal asking the Supreme Court to block the lower court rulings that would have banned or restricted access to mifepristone.

The case stems from a ruling by a US District Court judge in Texas, in a lawsuit brought by a coalition of anti-abortion groups, that would have banned mifepristone, which was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2000. An appeals court blocked a ban on the abortion pill, but imposed tough restrictions on access, after which the baton was handed to the Supreme Court, where conservatives wield a 6-3 majority.

The Supreme Court decision effectively freezes the lower court rulings pending an appellate court hearing of an appeal from the Justice Department and mifepristone manufacturer Danco Laboratories.

Arguments in the Louisiana-based US Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals have been scheduled for May 17 and any ruling by the appellate court is likely to eventually reach the Supreme Court.

Reacting to the Supreme Court move, Biden said the lower court decisions “would have undermined FDA’s medical judgment and put women’s health at risk.”

“Mifepristone remains available and approved for safe and effective use while we continue this fight in the courts,” Biden said in a statement. “I will continue to fight politically-driven attacks on women’s health.”

- ‘Relieved’ -

Abortion rights and civil liberties groups welcomed the Supreme Court decision but warned that the future of mifepristone remains in danger.

“We aren’t out of the woods by any means,” said Jennifer Dalven, director of the ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project.

“This case, which should have been laughed out of court from the very start, will continue on,” Dalven said. “And as this baseless lawsuit shows, extremists will use every trick in the book to try to ban abortion nationwide.” AFP

Australia eases citizenship path for Kiwi neighbors

SYDNEY -- Australia announced Saturday it will make it easier for hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders to become Aussie citizens, removing a long-festering thorn in ties between the traditionally friendly rivals.

Under the new rules starting July 1, New Zealanders can apply directly for citizenship if they arrived in Australia after 2001 and have lived there for at least four years -affecting some 380,000 people according to local media.

In 2001, Australia imposed a much-contested special category visa for New Zealanders that limited their access to health and welfare and obliged them to gain permanent residency before applying for citizenship.

“We know many New Zealanders are here on a special category visa while raising families, working and building their lives in Australia. So, I am proud to offer the benefits that citizenship provides,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a statement. AFP

SAN FRANCISCO— Twitter has dropped “state-affiliated” and “government-funded” labels from media accounts after widespread complaints, according to a review Friday of many high-profile pages.

As Elon Musk’s platform rolls out a series of changes, it has also reportedly told businesses they must pay for blue verification ticks or “verified organization” checkmarks if they want to advertise on Twitter.

Advertisers spending at least $1,000 monthly will be spared from paying, according to a notice shared on Twitter, which is seeking to increase revenue. Getting advertisers to pay subscriptions is part of a strategy “to elevate the quality of the content on Twitter and enhance your experience,” read the message to advertisers.

Musk’s long-promised move to strip free blue ticks from many Twitter users swung into action on Thursday. Blue ticks were once a coveted symbol of authenticity, but can now be bought for $8 a month. AFP

Editor in ‘tasteless’ Schumi story axed

BERLIN—The editor of German magazine

Die Aktuelle has been sacked after using an artificial intelligence programme to generate fake quotes from seven-time Formula One champion Michael Schumacher, the media group Funke announced.

Anne Hoffmann had stirred up a storm of controversy when on Wednesday the magazine published the interview -- the first since Schumacher suffered a serious brain injury in a 2013 skiing accident in the French Alps.

Schumacher’s family, who have carefully guarded the 54-year-old’s privacy since the accident, said they were planning legal action.

Bianca Pohlmann, director of the Funke magazine group, apologised to the family on Saturday.

“This article was in bad taste and misleading and should never have appeared,” said Pohlmann in a statement.

“It does not meet in any way the standards of journalism that we -- and our readers -- expect of a group like Funke. AFP

Suspected jihadists hit ‘Russian camp’ in Mali

DAKAR, Senegal -- Suspected jihadists attacked a military camp in central Mali on Saturday, two local elected officials and a diplomatic source told AFP, referring to the site as a “Russian camp”.

Mali’s junta in 2022 began working with what it calls Russian military “instructors”. Opponents say these are mercenaries from the Wagner group.

“We have no toll for the moment -- the situation is still confused -- it is jihadists who targeted the airport and the Russian camp next to it”, a local elected official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Two Malian military officials also confirmed the attack had taken place in the town of Sevare, in the Mopti region.

Around 5:30 am (0530 GMT), four loud explosions could be heard, followed by automatic weapons fire, several people on the ground told AFP. Smoke was also seen near the airport.

“It is the Russian camp and their planes that have been targeted -- the camp is near the airport”, another local official told AFP.

“The jihadists have surrounded part of the airport.” AFP

JUGGLING multiple roles keeps Saudiborn Filipina Kristine Pauline Rodriguez on her toes as an advisor, educator and influencer.

Rodriguez has charmed many netizens with her first blog where she chronicles her struggles and journey as a returning OFW who wants to live a better part of her life in her home country. For many followers, Rodriguez is the personification of the homogenized aspirations of many OFWS who tried to find their way in a foreign land.

“The first blog I wrote was shared by an influencer in the finance field and immediately everyone really liked it because it was about my journey. It was about an OFW nurse who wanted to find financial freedom so she can finally go home,” she said, recalling how she lost her hard-earned money investing in the stock market.

Revealing her authentic self and her stark realities in the most visceral manner, many followers have grown to love the blog and the blogger. As a nameless blogger, she called herself Celeste and with followers continue cheering her on, she eventually referred to her blog as “Rooting for Celeste”.

“I think a worthy goal is to live a life you don’t have to lie about. Especially in the social media, (where) everything is a framing of things. I want to be who I really am and be proud of it. I wrote in my most truthful manner because I was expecting that there will not be a day when I would reveal who I was. I talked about losses and my depression, of small victories and even ask if there was even point for doing what I am doing,” she said.

Eventually she revealed herself in a video to put to rest a myriad of questions and assumptions on her person. That signaled the shift of her content to more professional topics relating to finance.

Seven years as a blogger, Rodriguez has omnipresence in most forms of social media. She is popular on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube and her own website.

While her professional journey has its ups and turns, her personal life adds more color and depth to her continuing passage. Before her current advisory profession at HGR Digital Asset Group, Rodriguez co-founded ZFT—a trading education start-up, with her former beau as head of education and marketing where she also teaches trade psychology. She is the first trade psychology specialist in the Philippines. Trade psychology, Rodriguez said, remains unheard of in the Philippines. It’s more like therapy for creators geared to improve their performance—

This article is from: