A decade of conservative rule

The sweeping ruling by the court, with a 6-3 conservative majority, was set to alter American life, with nearly half the states considered certain or likely to ban abortion. Conservative Justice Clarence Thomas suggested the court's reasoning could also lead it to reconsider past rulings protecting the right to contraception, legalizing gay marriage nationwide, and invalidating state laws banning gay sex. As the day progressed, the number of demonstrators outside the Supreme Court increased substantially. The fenced-off area in front of the high court was filled largely with those demanding abortion rights. Crowds carried posters with slogans such as "Abort SCOTUS." One protester carried a placard that said "limit guns, not women" in reference to another Supreme Court decision this week expanding gun rights. Earlier in the afternoon, a supporter of Friday's ruling said: "The thing that 'my body, my choice' advocates don't get is that the aborted baby never had a choice." The … [Read more...] about Protesters at US Supreme Court decry abortion ruling overturning Roe v. Wade

Marcel Schröder, Economist, Economic Research and Regional Cooperation Department Asian Development Bank At the beginning of the conflict, the crude oil price breached $130 per barrel in March, the highest since 2008. Since then, it retreated to about $100 in April, before rising again to $120 following the European Union’s partial ban on Russian oil in May. Some worry that the oil price could spike to $200 per barrel in the coming months and how such a shock would impact the economic prospects of Asia’s developing countries. While many institutions, including ours, project a significantly higher oil price in 2022 compared with 2021, these predictions do not foresee $200 per barrel because they attach a low probability of a sudden shock to the global oil supply. A sudden shock is unlikely given the EU’s decision to gradually phase out Russian oil imports by the end of 2022, allowing an orderly transition to alternative supplies and keeping prices stable and affordable for … [Read more...] about Additional oil spike impacts cannot be ruled out

Vistors are heading to the Imperial City of Hue in Hue City, the central province of Thua Thien-Hue. (Photo: VNA) Thua Thien-Hue (VNA) – The Hue Monuments Conservation Centre , since it was founded four decades ago, has preserved and rehabilitated hundreds of ancient relics in the Complex of Hue Monuments and revived some of the most important royal festivals of the Nguyen Dynasty (1802 – 1945). 40th anniversary earlier this month, marking another milestone in its efforts to revive items from the last of the feudal dynasties in Vietnam. Complex of Hue Monuments (a world heritage site), “Nha Nhac” or Vietnamese court music (Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity), the woodblocks of the Nguyen Dynasty (part of the Memory of the World Programme), the imperial archives of the Nguyen Dynasty (part of the Memory of the World Programme), and the Literature on Hue Royal Architecture (part of Documentary Heritage in the Memory of the World Programme). VNA … [Read more...] about 40-year Hue artifact preservation efforts pay off

Earlier this month, Johnson survived a vote of confidence by Conservative lawmakers in which 41 percent of his parliamentary colleagues voted to oust him, and he is under investigation for intentionally misleading parliament. On Friday Conservative candidates lost two parliamentary by-elections held to replace former Conservative incumbents who had to step down, one after being convicted of sexual assault and the other for watching pornography in the House of Commons. The by-election defeats suggest the broad voter appeal which helped Johnson win a large parliamentary majority in December 2019 may be fracturing after a scandal over illegal parties held at Downing Street during coronavirus lockdowns. Under Conservative party rules, its lawmakers cannot formally challenge Johnson for another year, but overwhelming dissatisfaction or resignations by a series of senior ministers could make his position untenable. Britain is also in the midst of its deepest cost-of-living crisis in … [Read more...] about Boris Johnson seeks to stay in power until the mid-2030s

Plantations dreaming of FSC status for rubber products, Photo: Duc Thanh Nguyen Vinh Phuong, the owner of a 150-hectare rubber plantation area in the south-eastern province of Tay Ninh has recently spent more time studying the process of obtaining the FSC certification. Although he is interested in cultivating sustainable rubber, he remains hesitant to implement this process. Phuong pointed out that the rule of a 10-per-cent conservation area seems to be an infeasible requirement for small operators of plantation areas. The rule would mean that Phuong would lose $1,500 over 10 days of rubber tapping if he saved 10 per cent of his 150-ha plantation area for conservation. Besides state-owned companies like Tan Bien Rubber and Tay Ninh Rubber, there are 12 private firms competing to source rubber. Phuong was certain that he would not lose VND105 million ($4,520) per month during the tough market caused by rising production expenses, the shortage of rubber tappers and the … [Read more...] about Plantations dreaming of FSC status for rubber products

The House voted 234-193 for the bill. No Democrats were opposed, while 14 Republicans backed the measure. It was supported by major law enforcement groups and its passage was a rare defeat for U.S. gun manufacturers and the National Rifle Association. House action followed a late Thursday Senate vote of 65-33 to pass the bill, with 15 Republicans, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, in favor. Biden will sign the bill on Saturday morning, the White House said. Gun control has long been a divisive issue in the United States with multiple attempts to place new controls on gun sales failing time after time until Friday. The bill does not go as far as Democrats, including Biden, had sought. It includes provisions that would help states keep guns out of the hands of those deemed to be a danger to themselves or others and close the so-called boyfriend loophole by blocking gun sales to those convicted of abusing unmarried intimate partners. However, it did not ban sales … [Read more...] about U.S. House passes gun-safety legislation as court expands gun rights