Germany one step closer to scrapping Nazi-era abortion law

Germany's justice ministry presented a draft law on Monday that would do away with a Nazi-era law forbidding doctors to provide information about abortions. Doctors in Germany are allowed to say they offer termination of pregnancies but are not allowed to provide any further information on such procedures. Critics have said the law makes it too difficult for women to access information about which procedures are available and who provides them.
#germany #nazi #abortion

French court fines far-right presidential candidate for hate speech and inciting racial hatred

A French court on Monday convicted the far-right French presidential candidate Éric Zemmour of inciting racial hatred and fined him for remarks he made in 2020, according to reports. During a September 2020 TV appearance, Zemmour had made racist comments about unaccompanied migrants.
#frenchcourt #ericzemmour #racism

Hong Kong to cull 2,000 hamsters and make owners hand over pets amid fears they could spread Covid

Hong Kong wants pet stores and hamster owners to hand over their pets for culling over fears that the rodents could pass Covid-19 to humans. 
#honkong #covid #humans #hamsters

Muslim girls wearing Hijab barred from attending classes in India

When A H Almas, 18, and two of her friends stepped into their classroom on a December morning, the teacher immediately yelled at them: "Get out." The Muslim girls were not allowed to sit in the classroom because they were wearing Hijab, or headscarf.
#muslimgirls #islam #india

North Koreans told to make 150kg of manure each from their own excrement

North Korea is asking its citizens to use their own faeces to make manure as the country faces widespread food shortages. The country has long sourced its agricultural manure from China, but that trade, along with a number of other goods, ceased after North Korea closed its borders at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.
#covid #northkorea #foodshortage

Tony Blair defends knighthood after Iraq criticism

Former British prime minister Tony Blair said on Sunday his leadership should be remembered for more than the Iraq war as he rejected fierce criticism over his receipt of a knighthood. The Labour party's most successful leader, who won three successive general elections, was made Sir Tony in Queen Elizabeth II's New Year's Honours list.
#tonyblair #knighthood #queenelizabeth #iraq

Number of UK households unable to pay energy bills set to triple with new prices

The number of households in Britain struggling to pay their energy bills is set to triple in April when the nation’s price cap increases. The number of homes under "fuel stress" those spending at least 10% of income on energy bills is estimated to rise to 6.3 million households, according to research from the Resolution Foundation thinktank.
#uk #ukhousehold #energybills

The world's 10 richest men could pay for every Covid-19 vaccine from pandemic gains, Oxfam says

The wealth of the top 10 richest men in the world has grown so much during the pandemic that even a one-time 99% tax on their gains would be able to pay for the production of all the Covid-19 vaccines the world needs and more, according to charity Oxfam.
#covidvaccine #oxfam

Russian strikes in Syria kill 11 IS fighters: monitor

Russian air strikes in desert areas of eastern Syria have killed 11 suspected members of the Islamic State group, following deadly attacks by the jihadists, a war monitor reported Thursday.
#jihadist #russianairstrike #russia

Police arrest woman found with loaded shotgun outside US Capitol

US Capitol Police have arrested a Michigan woman who was illegally parked in front of their headquarters with a loaded shotgun and three other weapons, police said on Thursday.
#uscapitol #us #michiganwoman