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US makes abortion pills by mail permanent, not just for pandemic

AFP

US President Joe Biden’s administration on Thursday passed a rule making abortion pills accessible by mail permanently, not just for the Covid pandemic, a rare win for the pro-choice movement in the country’s increasingly bitter battle over reproductive rights.

The decision overturns a previous in-person requirement described as burdensome by activist organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) but also health groups such as the American Medical Association (AMA).

It comes as Republican-led states have enacted increasingly stringent laws curtailing women’s rights to end their pregnancy, while a decision is awaited by the country’s Supreme Court that could reverse abortion as a constitutional right. 

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The new rule was described in a letter sent by the Food and Drug Administration to plaintiffs in a court case seeking to ease rules surrounding medication abortions.  

The letter, which was uploaded online by the ACLU, said that the drug mifepristone no longer has to be dispensed only in clinics, medical offices or hospitals. But the FDA added a requirement that pharmacies dispensing it must be specially certified.

The in-person rule was dropped during the Covid-19 pandemic, brought back by the administration of former Republican president Donald Trump, then dropped again by the administration of Biden, a Democrat, on a temporary basis. Thursday’s move makes it permanent.

Medication abortion involves two different drugs, mifepristone and misoprostol, that can be safely used up to the first 10 weeks of pregnancy.

Mifepristone blocks progesterone, a hormone needed for the development of a pregnancy, thus preventing a pregnancy from developing. Misoprostol, taken 24-48 hours after mifepristone, empties the uterus by causing cramping and bleeding, an effect similar to miscarriage.

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Since being approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2000, the drugs’ use has risen sharply, and they now account for at least 40 percent of all abortions.

According to figures compiled by the Kaiser Family Foundation, when administered at nine weeks or less gestation, pregnancy is terminated successfully 99.6 percent of the time, with a 0.4 percent risk of major complications, and a mortality rate of 0.001 percent.

– ‘Time-sensitive medication’ –

“The FDA’s decision to permanently remove the in-person pill pick-up requirement is a major step forward that will enable many more patients to get this safe and time-sensitive medication as soon as they are ready, without travel-related expenses and delay,” said Georgeanne Usova, senior legislative counsel at the ACLU in a statement.

But the decision was slammed by anti-abortion groups.

“The Biden administration’s reckless move puts countless women and unborn children in danger,” said Sue Liebel of the Susan B. Anthony List. 

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The decision to ease federal restrictions won’t impact restrictions on mifepristone, passed by roughly half of states, said the ACLU. 

But the group added it would expand the options and capacity of states seeing an influx of out-of-state people seeking abortion as a result of abortion bans in their home states, such as Texas, which recently made it illegal to receive an abortion after six weeks.

Legal observers expect the Supreme Court to also overturn Roe v Wade, which enshrines the constitutional right to abortion, next spring, which would pave the way for total bans at the state level.

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International

Devastating floods in Southern Brazil leave dozens dead and missing

The heavy rains in southern Brazil have resulted in catastrophic floods that have left at least 55 people dead and 67 missing in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. This unprecedented climatic disaster has devastated rural areas and severely impacted the state capital, Porto Alegre, this Saturday.

The overflow of watercourses and landslides have disrupted numerous routes throughout the state, affecting nearly 300 localities, many of which are isolated. The catastrophe has affected approximately 377,000 people, including 32,600 who were forced to evacuate their homes and belongings.

The rapid rise in the level of the Guaíba River inundated the historic center of Porto Alegre, one of the largest cities in the south of the country, with a population of nearly 1.4 million. According to the city hall, the river level reached 5.04 meters, surpassing the previous record of 4.76 meters set in 1941, during the worst floods recorded to date.

On Saturday, the city was in a state of chaos, with many streets submerged in water as residents scrambled to evacuate their homes.

Amidst rescue efforts, a major explosion at a gas station in the northern part of the city killed at least two people. The incident occurred when vehicles used in the operations were refueling at the flooded station, sending a thick cloud of smoke into the air.

In many places, long lines formed as people tried to board buses, while those in cars struggled to navigate through the waters. The situation also forced the cancellation of bus arrivals and departures at the city’s main station, located along the swollen Guaíba.

Porto Alegre’s international airport had suspended operations on Friday indefinitely.

In the Navegantes neighborhood in the northern part of Porto Alegre, José Augusto Moraes de Lima called on firefighters to rescue a child trapped in his home, as a leg injury prevented him from evacuating the child himself. “Suddenly, in a matter of minutes, everything was flooded. I lost everything, television, wardrobe, bed, refrigerator,” recounted the 61-year-old merchant.

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International

Russian bombers near Alaska monitored by NORAD

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) reported that it detected and tracked two Russian military aircraft operating near Alaska’s airspace in the United States this Thursday. According to the agency, the aircraft remained in international airspace and did not enter the sovereign airspace of the United States or Canada.

As detailed by the Russian Ministry of Defense, the nuclear bombers were escorted by at least one Su-35S and one Su-30SM during the mission. One of the planes was featured in a video published by the Russian news agency RIA Novosti, filmed aboard a Tu-95MS. Russia stated that the two planes carried out an 11-hour mission over the neutral waters of the Bering Sea, near the western coast of Alaska, escorted by armed Flanker fighters and, “at certain stages of the journey, strategic missile bombers accompanied by fighters from foreign countries.”

The map shows the route taken by the Russian planes (Photo: Arte O Globo) It’s worth noting that the Tu-95 model was launched in 1954 but did not enter service until 1956, and is currently used in the Naval Aviation units of the Russian Air Force and the Air Force of the Russian Army, as well as in the Indian Air Force. According to the specialized website Air Force Technology, the model is even older: its first flight took place in 1954, and the Tu-95 entered service just two years later.

The aircraft can reach a maximum speed of 650 km/h and has a flight range of 6,400 km. This Tupolev periodically carried out long-range patrols in NATO countries and the airspace of the United States until the end of the Cold War. In July 2010, two Tu-95MS Bear-H bombers set a new record for flight duration, with 40 hours of patrol over three oceans.

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International

Ecuador declares state of emergency in five provinces to combat organized crime

The Ecuadorian government has declared a state of exception in the provinces of El Oro, Guayas, Los Ríos, Manabí, and Santa Elena for 60 days to combat organized armed groups amid escalating hostilities, according to Executive Decree 250 published on Tuesday.

The Armed Forces and National Police are jointly working to “maintain sovereignty and the integrity of the state.”

With this measure, the right to inviolability of the home has been suspended, meaning security authorities are permitted to conduct inspections, raids, and searches on properties where they believe members associated with armed groups may be hiding.

Authorities will also seize “materials or instruments” that could be used to commit crimes to neutralize threats.

In response to the criminal activity in the territory, the government will also establish an Anti-Criminal Investigation Force in the coming days aimed at reducing intentional homicides.

The national director of Crimes Against Life, Violent Deaths, Disappearances, Extortion, and Kidnapping of the National Police (Dinased), Freddy Sarzosa, noted that the main cause of criminal violence is linked to drug and arms trafficking.

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