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Headline News 04/05/2022
Headlines:
- Energy Wars
- Abortion Divides the US
- Forty Million More Pushed into Acute Food Insecurity in 2021
Details:
Energy Wars
Russia stopped sending gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria on April 27, after the deadline to pay in Russian rubles passed. European nations rely upon Russian energy by varying amounts and this strategy by Russia divides not just the continent but the US alliance strategy against Russia. The EU was forced to make exemptions for two nations as it set out plans to ban oil imports from Russia. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, confirmed that Russian crude oil supply will be phased out in the next six months and refined products by the end of the year. However, Hungary and Slovakia – which have opposed sanctions against Russian energy – will be granted until 2023 to cut off oil imports, in a sign of divisions within the bloc. Ms von der Leyen said: "We are addressing our dependency on Russian oil. And let's be clear, it will not be easy because some member states are strongly dependent on Russian oil, but we simply have to do it."
Abortion Divides the US
The leak of the draft opinion striking down historical abortion protections has caused uproar in the US and divided the nation. Politicians and activists on the left and right had been bracing for the possibility of such a sweeping ruling, but the left hoped and the right feared that the court's nine justices might opt for a more limited shift on abortion jurisprudence. According to a leaked Supreme Court document, published by Politico, the country's top court is poised to overturn the 1973 decision that legalised abortion nationwide. The Roe v Wade ruling, Legalized abortion across the US and imposed a uniform framework for state legislation. But this new ruling, which was leaked, would will allow individual states to ban abortion if they wish. It is expected abortion could then be banned in almost half of US states. Abortion has for long divided the US with many divided by ‘pro-choice’ and ‘pro-life’ positions. With the US mid-terms due in November this debate will have a major impact as politicians scramble to maintain their positions.
Forty Million More Pushed into Acute Food Insecurity in 2021
Around 193 million people in 53 countries or territories experienced acute food insecurity at crisis or worsening levels in 2021, the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization said. While experts have warned that Russia's war in Ukraine could cause famine, the FAO said in an annual report that nearly 40 million more people were pushed into "acute food insecurity" in 2021. Among 53 countries facing the problem, the most affected include the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Yemen and Afghanistan where millions face hunger after the country plunged into financial crisis following the Taliban takeover in 2021.