Headline

Abortion: US Baces For More Protests After Supreme Court Verdict

Published

3 years ago

June 25, 2022

Protesters were expected to pour onto streets across the United States on Saturday as anger flared over the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the right to abortion.

Several right-leaning states imposed immediate bans on abortion after the court on Friday shredded five decades of constitutional protections for the procedure, prompting leaders around the world to voice concern.

The conservative-dominated court overturned the landmark 1973 “Roe v. Wade” decision enshrining a woman’s right to an abortion, saying individual states could restrict or ban the procedure themselves.

“The Constitution does not confer a right to abortion,” the court said in a 6-3 ruling on one of America’s most bitterly divisive issues. “The authority to regulate abortion is returned to the people and their elected representatives.”

A somber President Joe Biden called the ruling a “tragic error” stemming from “extreme ideology”.

“The health and life of women in this nation are now at risk,” Biden said, warning that other rights such as same-sex marriage and contraception could be threatened next.

The Democratic president urged Congress to restore abortion protections as federal law and said Roe would be “on the ballot” in November’s midterm elections.

Criticism of the Supreme Court decision also came from abroad, including from US allies like Britain, whose Prime Minister Boris Johnson called it “a big step backwards.”

Canada’s leader Justin Trudeau said it was “horrific”, and French President Emmanuel Macron voiced his “solidarity with women whose freedoms are today challenged.”

Acknowledging the international concerns, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken insisted his department would “remain fully committed to helping provide access to reproductive health services and advancing reproductive rights around the world.”

– ‘You have failed us’ –

Hundreds of people — some weeping for joy and others with grief — gathered outside the fenced-off Supreme Court on Friday as the ruling came down.

“It’s hard to imagine living in a country that does not respect women as human beings and their right to control their bodies,” said Jennifer Lockwood-Shabat, 49, a mother of two daughters who was choking back tears.

“You have failed us,” read a sign held up by one protester. “Shame,” said another.

But Gwen Charles, a 21-year-old opponent of abortion, was jubilant.

“This is the day that we have been waiting for,” Charles told AFP. “We get to usher in a new culture of life in the United States.”

Just hours after the ruling, Missouri banned abortion — making no exception for rape or incest — and so did South Dakota, except where the life of the mother is at risk.

Protesters took to the streets in St. Louis to decry the ban, gathering at what had been Missouri’s last abortion clinic.

“It’s absolutely disturbing,” said Lilian Dodenhoff, 32, standing outside the facility. “So I just immediately reached out to people that I knew shouldn’t be alone right now.”

As of Friday evening, at least seven states had already banned abortion — Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, and South Dakota.

Many more are expected to follow suit or severely restrict the procedure.

Protesters also marched in New York, Boston and other US cities as anger grew.

“Abortion is a human right, not just for the rich and white,” protesters in New York chanted on Friday.

Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul met the crowd at Union Square, telling reporters abortion rights were “secure” in New York, and that the state would be a “safe harbor” for those unable to receive the procedure in their own states.

“We took action already, we allocated $35 million to support our abortion providers to be able to help our sisters across this nation find their way here,” she said. “This is their safe harbor.”

There were incidents at some demonstrations on Friday, including one in the Iowa city of Cedar Rapids, where a pickup truck drove through a group of protesters, running over at least one woman’s foot, according to local media reports.

In Arizona, CNN reported that authorities used tear gas to disperse protesters on Friday night after they “repeatedly pounded on the glass doors of the State Senate Building,” according to Arizona Department of Public Safety spokesperson Bart Graves.

– ‘Egregiously wrong’ –

In the majority opinion, Justice Samuel Alito said Roe v. Wade was “egregiously wrong.”

“Abortion presents a profound moral issue on which Americans hold sharply conflicting views,” he said. “The Constitution does not prohibit the citizens of each State from regulating or prohibiting abortion.”

The court tossed out the legal argument in Roe v. Wade that women had the right to abortion based on the constitutional right to privacy with regard to their own bodies.

While the ruling represents a victory for the religious right, leaders of the Christian conservative movement said it does not go far enough and they will push for a nationwide ban.

“While it’s a major step in the right direction, overturning Roe does not end abortion,” said the group March for Life.

“God made the decision,” said former Republican president Donald Trump while praising the ruling.

The decision was made possible by Trump’s nomination to the court of three conservative justices — Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett.

– ‘Will not stop there’ –

The three liberal justices on the court dissented from the ruling.

“One result of today’s decision is certain: the curtailment of women’s rights, and of their status as free and equal citizens,” they said.

Abortion providers could now face criminal penalties and “some States will not stop there,” they warned.

According to the Guttmacher Institute, 13 states have adopted so-called “trigger laws” that will ban abortion virtually immediately.

Ten others have pre-1973 laws that could go into force or legislation that would ban abortion after six weeks, before many women know they are pregnant.

Women in states with strict anti-abortion laws will either have to continue with their pregnancy, undergo a clandestine abortion, obtain abortion pills, or travel to another state where it remains legal.

AFP/PUNCH

Headline

31 Workers Escape Death As Tunnel Collapses In Los Angeles

Published

4 hours ago

July 10, 2025

Editor

All 31 workers escaped without injuries from a collapsed industrial tunnel in Los Angeles’ Wilmington area, after scrambling over a tall pile of loose underground soil, city officials said late on Wednesday.

The trapped workers were shuttled back to the tunnel’s entry point, more than 5 miles (8 km) away from the affected area, after they escaped the collapsed section and met several coworkers in the unaffected part of the tunnel, the Los Angeles Fire Department said in a statement.

The tunnel, which had a diameter of 18 ft (5.5 m), trapped 27 individuals, while four workers entered the damaged section to assist with rescue, LA Fire Chief Ronnie Villanueva told reporters in a media briefing.

“The workers had to climb through debris. They had to make themselves out through,” before they were assisted out, Villanueva said.

Robert Ferrante, chief engineer and general manager of Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts, told the briefing that a section of the already built part of the tunnel experienced squeezing ground conditions and partially collapsed.

“LAFD has just reported that all workers who were trapped in the tunnel in Wilmington are now out and accounted for. I just spoke with many of the workers who were trapped. Thank you to all of our brave first responders who acted immediately,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said in a post on X.

The collapsed section was a part of the Los Angeles County’s Clearwater Project, where the new 7-mile tunnel is being built to upgrade the region’s sewer system, officials added.

(Reuters)

Headline

Elon Musk’s X CEO Resigns

Published

4 hours ago

July 10, 2025

Editor

The Chief Executive Officer of Elon Musk-owned social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Linda Yaccarino, has stepped down after two years in the role.

Yaccarino announced her resignation in a tweet on the platform on Wednesday, without stating a specific reason for her departure.

However, she noted that the company was entering “a new chapter” following its recent acquisition by Musk’s artificial intelligence company, xAI.

Yaccarino wrote, “After two incredible years, I’ve decided to step down as CEO of 𝕏.

“When #elonmusk and I first spoke of his vision for X, I knew it would be the opportunity of a lifetime to carry out the extraordinary mission of this company.

“I’m immensely grateful to him for entrusting me with the responsibility of protecting free speech, turning the company around, and transforming X into the Everything App.”

Yaccarino praised the efforts of the X team, noting the strides made in restoring advertiser trust and prioritising user safety.

“I’m incredibly proud of the X team, the historic business turnaround we have accomplished together has been nothing short of remarkable.

“We started with the critical early work necessary to prioritise the safety of our users, especially children, and to restore advertiser confidence.

“This team has worked relentlessly from groundbreaking innovations like Community Notes, and, soon, X Money to bringing the most iconic voices and content to the platform.

“Now, the best is yet to come as X enters a new chapter with #xai,” she added.

She described the platform as “truly a digital town square for all voices and the world’s most powerful culture signal,” adding, that it couldn’t have been achieved without users, business partners, and the team.

Musk, who is the world’s richest man and also heads Tesla and SpaceX, appointed Yaccarino as CEO in May 2023, shortly after acquiring the platform, formerly known as Twitter in a $44 billion deal.

Yaccarino, a former advertising executive at NBC Universal, formally took over in June 2023, succeeding Musk, who had briefly served as interim CEO following the takeover.

Headline

Top 10 Smallest Airports In The World

Published

1 day ago

July 9, 2025

Editor

In a world filled with sprawling mega-terminals and transcontinental flights, there are still places where flying is raw, rugged, and incredibly personal.

Each one is a story of bold landings, short runways, and human ingenuity. although there’s no official metric defining “smallest” (e.g., by size, traffic, or infrastructure).

These are the world’s smallest airports, tiny airstrips tucked into remote islands, mountainsides, and icy frontiers.

1. Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport – Saba, Caribbean Netherlands

On the volcanic island of Saba, this airport looks more like a cliffside parking lot than a place for planes. Its runway is only 400 meters long, the shortest in the world that handles commercial flights.

At each end is a drop straight into the Caribbean Sea. There is no room for error here, which is why only small STOL aircraft and specially trained pilots are allowed to land. Despite its challenges, this little airport is a lifeline for the island’s residents and the adventurous tourists who dare to visit.

2. Tenzing-Hillary Airport – Lukla, Nepal

High in the Himalayas near Mount Everest, Tenzing-Hillary Airport is not just small, it’s extreme. At nearly 9,400 feet above sea level, its 527-meter runway slopes sharply downward toward a cliff, helping planes gain speed on takeoff but giving pilots little room to brake when landing.

Strong winds, fog, and unpredictable weather make it one of the most dangerous airports in the world. Yet it’s the main gateway for trekkers and climbers heading toward the Everest Base Camp, and most consider it an unforgettable part of the journey.

3. Barra Airport – Outer Hebrides, Scotland

Wike’s remarks in church disrespect to sacred space — Ejiofor
Barra is a place where the ocean tide decides when planes can land. This airport, located on a beach in the Outer Hebrides, is the only one in the world where scheduled commercial flights use sand as their runway.

Aircraft land and take off during low tide, using the wide, flat shoreline as a landing strip. When the tide comes in, the runway disappears beneath the waves. It is an extraordinary experience for passengers and a perfect example of how humans adapt to nature in creative ways.

4. Courchevel Altiport – French Alps, France

This airport serves one of the most exclusive ski resorts in the world, but it is also one of the trickiest to land in. Courchevel’s runway is only 537 meters long and built into a steep Alpine slope.

There is no chance to circle back if something goes wrong, so the approach must be perfect. Surrounded by snow-covered peaks and perched at over 6,500 feet, the airport is used mostly by helicopters and small private planes. Landing here feels less like aviation and more like mountain sport.

5. Agatti Aerodrome – Lakshadweep, India

Agatti is a thin strip of coral in the Indian Ocean, and its airport is just as narrow. The 1,200-meter runway stretches across a sliver of land, with water visible on both sides during takeoff and landing. It looks like the plane is about to land in the sea until the wheels touch down.

With no space for expansion or emergency runoffs, pilots have to land with absolute precision. Despite its size, Agatti is the only air connection for the Lakshadweep islands, making it a vital piece of infrastructure.

6. Luang Namtha Airport – Laos

Tucked into the forested hills of northern Laos, Luang Namtha Airport is a quiet, no-frills place that serves a largely rural area. The airport is small, with limited flights and a modest terminal building.

On most days, the sound of crickets and birds fills the air while the occasional propeller plane comes and goes. It might not look like much, but to locals and travelers looking for access to northern Laos, it is a key part of the journey.

7. Helgoland Airport – North Sea, Germany

The island of Helgoland is a tiny speck in the North Sea, and its airport is equally compact. With a runway just 480 meters long, strong sea winds, and limited space, pilots need special training to land here.

Most aircraft that come in are small and lightweight, ferrying tourists and supplies from the mainland. Though the flight only takes about 20 minutes, the approach feels dramatic, with the island rising from the sea like a rock. For residents and visitors, this airport is a fragile but essential bridge to the rest of Germany.

8. Yrausquin Airport – Aruba (Historic)

Before Aruba became a bustling tourist destination with a large international airport, it relied on small domestic airfields. One of the early ones bore the Yrausquin name, like the better-known airport in Saba.

These runways were short, bare-bones, and often located in isolated parts of the island. Though most of them no longer exist, they played a critical role in connecting the Caribbean’s scattered islands before modern aviation infrastructure took hold.

9. Tiksi Airport – Siberia, Russia

Tiksi is about as remote as it gets. Located deep in the Arctic Circle, this small airport connects the town of Tiksi with the rest of Russia. Conditions here are harsh. Temperatures can plunge well below freezing, and snow and ice often cover the runway. Flights are rare, and delays are common due to unpredictable weather.

Still, the airport is vital for delivering supplies, medical aid, and even news to the isolated population living in one of the coldest inhabited places on Earth.

10. Funchal Airport – Madeira, Portugal

Funchal’s airport, now named after Cristiano Ronaldo, is a modern facility today, but its past tells a different story. Originally, the runway was much shorter and curved along a cliffside with no margin for error.

Pilots had to be specially trained to land there, especially with frequent crosswinds and sudden weather changes. Though the runway has since been extended on massive pillars over the ocean, the airport’s early days remain a dramatic chapter in aviation history.