Author: Jeffrey Gill

Tajikistan officially banned the hijab, imposing hefty fines in its latest move to curb Islamic influence. Beni Mellal – The Central Asian nation of Tajikistan officially prohibited the wearing of hijabs and other “alien garments” this week, as the country’s parliament passed a new bill regulating Islamic clothing and Eid celebrations. The bill, approved by the upper house of parliament, Majlisi Milli, on June 19, comes after years of an unofficial clampdown on the hijab in the Muslim-majority country. Under the new law, individuals wearing hijabs or other banned religious clothing could face hefty fines of up to 7,920 somonis…

Russia has reportedly lost a staggering amount of troops over the past 24 hours along with dozens of tanks and armoured vehicles as bloody fighting takes its toll on Vladimir Putin’s men. Russia lost a staggering 1,740 troops in a single day, the highest tally of casualties for Moscow since the start of the invasion in 2022, according to Ukraine. In the previous 24 hours, Ukraine also claimed Russia had lost 30 tanks and 42 armoured vehicles. Death toll and military hardware statistics are difficult to assess with both sides giving different or little information. However, Ukraine’s armed forces have claimed Russia has so far lost an eye-watering…

The Hague: Dutch medical device maker Philips said Monday it had reached a $1.1 billion deal in the United States to settle lawsuits over faulty sleep machines in a case that has rocked the company. Since 2021, the company has been battling a series of crises over its DreamStation machines for sleep apnoea, a disorder in which breathing stops and starts during sleep. Earlier this year, the company said it would halt new sales of the machines in the United States following a series of recalls of the devices made by subsidiary Philips Respironics. Philips said in a statement Monday that…

A U.S. appeals court on Friday struck down a Federal Trade Commission order against Illumina’s (ILMN.O) purchase of cancer diagnostic test maker Grail (GRAL.O), a former subsidiary, saying the agency had applied a wrong legal standard. The New Orleans-based panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a 34-page order that will require the FTC to reconsider the deal. The three-judge panel said the agency had substantial evidence to show the deal would lessen competition as companies seek to bring to market a blood test to detect many kinds of cancer. An FTC spokesperson said the panel’s opinion was “an important…

The Canadian economy added more jobs than expected in November while the jobless rate ticked slightly higher, data showed on Friday, a result that is in line with the central bank leaving interest rates unchanged next week. Canada added a net 24,900 jobs in November, more than the 15,000 gain forecast in a Reuters poll of analysts, while the jobless rate ticked up as expected to 5.8% from 5.7%, Statistics Canada said. Growth in Canada’s population has been outpacing employment growth, Statscan noted. The economy is now averaging a 28,000 monthly employment gain this year, while monthly population growth has…

Copenhagen (14/11 – 40) The massive mobilization and sustained pressure jolted the Sri Lankan presidency of the previously all-powerful Gotabaya Rajapaksa, prompted mass resignations from the government at the time, and solidified existing spaces and created new spaces for dissent and discussions on much-needed reforms. Sri Lanka is facing an exceptional political and economic crisis that has sparked months-long protests across the country. The new leadership under President Ranil Wickremesinghe struggles with the economic situation and seemingly failed to uphold basic human rights and pursue accountability for grave crimes towards the people of Sri Lanka. Despite troubling trends of authoritarianism,…

The hearing will feature an 11-judge panel, reviewing the intersection of federal EMTALA rules and Idaho law. This week, a new court ruling on Idaho’s abortion ban from the Ninth Circuit Court. The entire law is not in question, but a specific section of the state’s total abortion ban that concerns EMTALA – the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act. The Biden Administration was and is focused on the Idaho law. Back in August 2022, the U.S. Department of Justice sued Idaho in federal court, arguing the state’s near-total abortion ban violates EMTALA.  That federal EMTALA provision requires hospitals to…

Valencia, Turin, Madrid (28/11 – 25) Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia retained his MotoGP world title with many records; there are nevertheless signs that the Ducati rider will face sterner competition next season. The Italian rider won the 2023 season-ending MotoGP Grand Prix in Valencia on Sunday to clinch his second world title in a row. The protege of Valentino Rossi becomes the third rider to take back-to-back MotoGP titles since the introduction of the class in 2002. Only Valentino Rossi and Marc Marquez previously managed to do that. Bagnaia is the first rider to successfully race and defend #1 in the…

A new era is on the horizon for The Washington Post. The broadsheet which surged in readership during Donald Trump’s chaotic presidency, but has since struggled to maintain that audience is set to welcome a new chief executive and publisher in the coming weeks.The broadsheet — which surged in readership during Donald Trump’s chaotic presidency, but has since struggled to maintain that audience — is set to welcome a new chief executive and publisher in the coming weeks. Owner Jeff Bezos is “very close” to making his selection, a person familiar with the matter told me Thursday, adding that the…

Dozens of people came together outside the Israeli Embassy in Northwest D.C. to stand in solidarity with Israel. Outside the White House, hundreds gathered for a rally in support of the Palestinian people A day after Hamas launched an attack on Israel, people in D.C. took to the streets to make their voices heard. Dozens came together outside of the Israeli Embassy in Northwest D.C. to stand in solidarity. Emotions ran high and security was top of mind; barricades were set up and law enforcement stood by. The attacks hit close to home for some in attendance. “I have dear friends who…