A few hours after the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade, abolishing the constitutional right to abortion, it became illegal in multiple US states. Utah was one of the first states doing it with its abortion ban coming into effect on Friday night. Half of US states are expected to ban this practice as well.

Prices are continuing to rise, the fastest rate for 40 years, as food, energy, and petrol continue to climb. The Office for National Statistics informed that the UK inflation increased to 9.1% in the 12 months to May, from 9% in April. Inflation could reach 11% this year.

President Joe Biden signed a new bill considered the major federal gun safety legislation in decades. After signing the bill, Biden said: “God willing, it’s going to save a lot of lives.” This law came in the aftermath of recent mass shootings at Uvalde, Texas, elementary school, and a Buffalo New York supermarket in a predominantly black neighbourhood.

Two Omicron sub-variants - BA.4 and BA.5 - appear to escape antibody responses amongst those with previous Covid infection and those fully vaccinated and boosted.

 

However, vaccines are still expected to provide substantial protection against severe disease.

 

At the moment, pharmaceuticals are working on updated shots to elicit a stronger immune response against these variants.  

 

The Omicron variants escaping from antibodies means that there’s a higher risk for reinfection, even in people who had prior immunity against the virus.

The International Energy Agency director, Fatih Birol, has warned that Russia may stop its gas supply to Europe this winter.

 

He believes that a complete shutdown is not the most likely scenario but Europe needs to work on contingency plans – you know, just in case.

 

In recent weeks, several European countries have seen less Russian gas than expected. Russian officials said it’s not on purpose, just technical issues.

China has increased its Russian oil imports by 55% this year, displacing Saudi Arabia as the top supplier. It’s a defiance to western sanctions on Russian oil and gas. While Europe is struggling with gas and possibly in the near future with oil, China is buying Russian oil at a cheaper price. Russia is pumping an estimated 1.9 million barrels per day via its pipelines and seaborne shipments. This indicates that Moscow, after all, is able to find buyers for its oil. India has also bought Russian oil with some discount.

Today, the US Supreme Court has ruled that the constitution makes no reference to abortion, and no such right is implicitly protected by any constitutional provision.

 

This resolution from the high court upended a precedent set nearly 50 years ago in the landmark Roe v Wade case.

 

Now the United States, along with Poland, Nicaragua and El Salvador, are the only countries in the world to restrict abortion.

President Joe Biden said that the American people are ‘really really down’ after a turbulent two years with the coronavirus pandemic, the volatility in the economy and petrol prices, which are slamming family budgets. Biden emphasised that he inherited a battered economy. Was he not prepared to face this situation? Is he still blaming others? 

Do you think that President Joe Biden is doing what it takes to keep afloat the economy? 

He’s blamed the two-year pandemic and Russia for the US problems such as petrol prices.

Why not the companies for increasing prices?

Transgender women have been excluded from women’s swimming elite events and from playing in women’s international rugby league matches. It already happened in Cycling. In April this year, the International Cycling Union suspended a transgender cyclist in the UK, Emily Bridges, claiming that her participation was ‘unfair to all women cyclists.’ Do you think this is a fair resolution?

Electric cars have been around for a while and apparently, they are the future of transport for everybody. However, EVs rely on the electric grid to recharge once their batteries are depleted. There’s another way to charge batteries:using the solar energy through panels. In November this year, the first car with solar panels will be available for sale. The name of the car is Lightyear, yes, like the movie – and it looks very promising.