12/10/2021
Tidbits of the day
🌸 A US judge has temporarily blocked a new law in Texas that effectively bans women from having an abortion. District Judge Robert Pitman granted a request by the Biden administration to prevent any enforcement of the law while its legality is being challenged.
🌸 At least 20 people have been killed after an earthquake struck Pakistan's southern Balochistan province, officials have told the BBC. Authorities say the death toll may increase, and that many people were killed when structures collapsed. Many of the dead were women and children, the Reuters news agency said.
🌸 The EU will bring forward new proposals for the Northern Ireland Protocol, European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic has said. He said he hopes they would form the basis for intensive talks with the UK. The protocol avoids a hard border on the island of Ireland by keeping Northern Ireland in the EU's single market for goods.
🌸 Homeowners in Ireland hit by a devastating building defect that causes walls to "crumble like Weetabix" are set to reject a government compensation scheme unless it offers to cover 100% of their costs.
🌸 Russia's deputy prime minister has said certification of the Nord Stream 2 undersea gas pipeline, which is awaiting clearance from Germany's regulator, could cool soaring European gas prices. Prices have risen sharply in response to a recovery in demand, particularly from Asia, with storage levels low.
🌸 Hong Kong will build a new megacourt to address a shortage of space as it works through a backlog of the thousands arrested during the 2019 mass protests, and the more than 150 arrested under the national security law.
🌸 Climate campaigners are worried an influx of officers from elsewhere in the UK will undermine Police Scotland's commitment to rights-based policing of protests at Cop26.
🌸 A collection of Vincent van Gogh's preparatory drawings sketched ahead of a planned "redoing" of The Potato Eaters, a masterpiece brutally slated by buyers, friends and family at the time of its painting, are being exhibited for what is believed to be first time.
Take aways from the Article...
🍄 Enforcement - the act of compelling observance of or compliance with a law, rule, or obligation.
🍄 Collapse - to fall down or break into pieces suddenly.
🍄 Soar - to fly high in the air.
🍄 Backlog - an amount of work, etc. that has not yet been done and should have been done already.
🍄 Slate - criticize severely.
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