Month: August 2022

His comments come as surging energy prices sparked by the war in Ukraine push industry profits to new highs. Mr Guterres said it was "immoral" for firms to be profiting from the crisis. Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February has worsened a global shortage of oil and gas, disrupting access to oil and gas from Russia - a major supplier - and driving prices higher. While households are grappling with higher energy bills, companies are reaping the benefits. BP recently reported its largest profit in 14 years, while Shell's profits in the April-to-June period hit a record. Together, four of the biggest energy firms - Exxon, Chevron, Shell and TotalEnergies -  Oofos Canada earned nearly $51bn in the most recent quarter - almost doubl...

According to human rights advocates, nearly 50 migrants have had religious headgear taken away. Sikhism requires that men wear turbans and do not cut their hair. Record numbers of migrants from India have been detained at the US-Mexico border in recent months. Many hail from India's Punjab, where more than half of residents are Sikh. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has said the turban confiscations "blatantly violate federal law" and are inconsistent with the CBP's own non-discrimination policies. In a letter sent to US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Chris Magnus on 1 August, it called the seizures "ongoing, serious religious-freedom violations". Lawyer Vanessa Pineda, of the ACLU of Arizona...

Arkady and Boris Rotenberg - judo partners of the Russian president - used a type of company that was not required to identify its real owners. Ministers have acknowledged concerns that these companies, known as English Limited Partnerships (ELPs), have also been abused by criminals. A joint investigation by the BBC and Finance Uncovered has discovered evidence linking a number of ELPs to fraud, terrorism and money laundering. In 2016 and 2017, the government introduced measures that forced almost all UK companies to identify their real owners. ELPs were not covered by these new transparency laws. Since then, more than 4,500 of them have been set up. The BBC has worked with Finance Uncovered to analyse leaked documents and thousa...

As the most popular beginner shoe of the last decade, the La Sportiva Tarantulace has seen the beginning of many climbers’ careers. It is the best selling climbing shoe in the United States and marries all of the crucial elements we have come to expect from our climbing shoes. In many ways, the Tarantulace is the benchmark the rest of the world lives up to.   The Latest Model Since its inception, the Tarantulace has gone through numerous iterations. A light green cross-strapping variation was this editor’s first climbing shoe, and it’s easy to see why. The original cross strapping system was easy to use, while the leather stretched and became more comfortable with time. Furthermore, the leather didn’t smell nearly as bad as synthetic climbing shoes. Add in the fact the La Spo...

On 2 August, Kansans will vote on whether to alter the language of the state constitution, the first state to vote on such an amendment since the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade, abolishing the constitutional right for a woman to have an abortion. If it passes, members of the Republican-controlled state legislature can write laws that make it much harder, if not impossible, for a woman in Kansas to get an abortion. The ballot is written so that a "yes" vote affirms that "there is no Kansas constitutional right to abortion". Voting against the amendment would keep the constitution as-is, meaning that women in the state do have a right to an abortion. At the Catholic church, located in Overland Park, a police officer stood guard. A few days earlier, someone h...

The 79-year-old first contracted the virus on 21 July, when he was revealed to be experiencing mild symptoms. On Saturday Mr Biden said he was not experiencing symptoms but would isolate "for the safety of everyone around me". The president had tested negative for the virus four times between Tuesday and Friday last week. In a letter describing the situation, Mr Biden's physician Dr Kevin O'Connor said there was no need to resume treatment but the president would remain under "close observation". Mr Biden has been taking Paxlovid, an antiviral medicine which Dr O'Connor said had led to a "small percentage" of Covid patients experiencing a "rebound" test.